China News Agency, Berlin, January 13th. According to comprehensive German media reports on the 13th, German Federal Minister of Health Lauterbach announced that starting from February 2nd, the obligation to wear masks on long-distance public transport nationwide, especially on long-distance trains, will be cancelled.
From now on, the obligation to wear masks will only apply to hospitals, nursing homes, clinics and other health institutions.
Lauterbach said that no serious infection waves are expected this winter, and no dangerous variants are currently spreading.
Germany's new crown incidence index (the cumulative number of new confirmed cases per 100,000 people in seven days) is decreasing, and the hospitalization rate is also continuing to decline. "The situation is tense, but controllable."
However, Lauterbach called on people to continue to wear masks voluntarily.
He said it still made sense to continue wearing masks on long-distance public transport "on a personal responsibility and voluntary basis", especially for people with health risks.
According to reports, the relevant regulations for taking short-distance public transport are determined by the federal states themselves.
At present, Bavaria, Saxony-Anhalt and Schleswig-Holstein have canceled the obligation to wear masks on short-distance public transport; Berlin, Brandenburg, Thuringia, Mecklen Burg-West Pomerania, Saxony, Baden-Württemberg are scheduled to be canceled by early February at the latest.
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