From Monday, Saxony will implement the 2G rule across the board in parts of public life. This is the central point of the new Corona Protection Ordinance, which the cabinet decided on Friday in Dresden. This means that only those who have recovered and who have been vaccinated have access to indoor restaurants, discos or leisure and cultural facilities. There are exceptions for children, adolescents and people who cannot be vaccinated. But you need a test. Major events such as football in stadiums are also affected. 2G does not apply to retail or church services.
The situation in Saxony is dramatic, said Health Minister Petra Köpping (SPD). She is not prone to exaggeration. Hospital occupancy is a major concern. Experts have advised the government to act now. However, the new protection ordinance is not an innovation in the true sense of the word. Just do what has been agreed beforehand. Köpping expects that the overload level will be reached on November 10th or 11th.
So far, the 2G rule was only intended for the affected areas when the overload level was reached – when 1,300 normal beds or 420 intensive care beds are occupied with corona patients in hospitals or a hospitalization value of 12.0 has been reached. The value indicates how many corona patients per 100,000 inhabitants were admitted to hospital within a week. This regulation has now been brought forward. There is also another innovation: FFP2 masks are now compulsory on buses and trains, but not for schoolchildren.
The Saxon 2G rule also applies to major events with more than 1000 visitors – regardless of whether they take place indoors or outdoors. At the same time, there is a maximum limit for guests. With a maximum of 50 percent occupancy, a maximum of 25,000 visitors are allowed. Exceptions for Christmas markets remain. Schools and daycare centers remain open even when the overload level is reached, and the originally planned alternating lessons are dispensed with. The mask requirement also applies in class.
The regulation, which is valid up to and including November 25th, also contains new requirements for employers. It is strongly recommended that all employees work from home if possible. The obligation to test twice a week for employees with customer contact remains. In order to better protect nursing homes, all staff will be tested daily in the future. In addition, from now on there will be more control.
It is unclear whether the measures really have an impact on the infection process: Chancellery Minister Helge Braun said in Bild-TV that it was clear that the vaccination does not offer complete protection for everyone. Berlin’s governing mayor Michael Müller recently indicated that the vaccinated could also be tested again. The virologist Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit explained in the Berliner Zeitung that the problems were in old people’s and nursing homes and in migrant milieus. (with dpa)