WHow far away is Germany from entering the endemic phase in which Covid-19, caused by an infection with the SARS-CoV2 virus, occurs again and again for a limited time and place and, to put it simply, is more or less easy to control? Virologists do not want to give a binding answer to such a question at the moment, which is why politicians do not do it either, not even in Hesse. She suspended many corona protection measures, but only partially the unloved mask requirement, and that’s a good thing.
Masks must still be worn in Hesse in hospitals, old people’s and nursing homes, as well as on buses and trains. In the next few months, an increase in the number of passengers on public transport is to be expected, it said in justification of the mask requirement. In the event that 9-euro ticket buyers actually stand and sit on the buses and trains like sardines in a can, the means of transport should not become hotspots as far as possible.
Of course, the old and the weak remain at risk
Anyone who has relatives in a nursing home, anyone who feels fear for someone who is being treated in a clinic, has certainly suffered from the restrictions of the recent past, which have often enough made visits impossible. And despite everything, I’m sure happy if the weakest continue to be protected in a sensitive environment, both directly and indirectly. Because, and this cannot be said often enough, the elderly and those in need of care, and above all the residents of nursing homes, are the most vulnerable group in the pandemic. There are around four million people in need of care in Germany, and a good fifth receive inpatient care. And 85 percent of all corona deaths affect people aged 70 and over.
Meanwhile, the unwillingness to wear a mask seems to be growing. Lufthansa reported on Friday that it had released its crews from the obligation to enforce the mask requirement, which still exists on many flights, by all means. The number of conflicts with passengers has increased significantly. This is a security risk that needs to be weighed against other risks. That’s how a spokesman put it. In the past few weeks, the company has publicly opposed the obligation to wear masks several times. Lawyers may decide whether the decision that the cabin crew should then shrug their shoulders and ask those who refuse to wear masks what they would like to drink is tenable and legally compliant.
It is understandable that flight attendants and pilots do not want to engage in disputes that have the potential to escalate into the tangible. The fact that people cannot ignore personal sensitivities for the duration of a flight and put on a mask if that’s the way it’s supposed to be: that’s weak.