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COVID-19

Germany peels away most of remaining Covid-19 measures

Three years after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in Germany, the country repealed most of the protective measures on Wednesday. Here's which measures still remain.

Published: 1 March 2023 12:00 CET
Updated: 1 March 2023 13:04 CET
Coronavirus regulations
A worker removes a sticker from a tram in Rostock, Mecklenburg-Western Pommerania on February 1st reminding passengers to wear a face mask. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Bernd Wüstneck

As of Wednesday, the Germany-wide requirement to take a Covid-19 test to enter healthcare facilities was repealed. 

The FFP2 mask requirement for employees working in doctor’s offices, clinics and care facilities – as well as for nursing home residents – was also lifted.

However, the rule still applies to patients in doctor’s offices and clinics, in addition to nursing home visitors, until April 7th, said German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) on Wednesday. 

“Anyone who visits patients or nursing home residents, or who attends doctor’s appointments, will still have to wear a mask,” Lauterbach said. “That should be worth it to us to protect vulnerable groups.” 

This also includes visitors to dialysis facilities, day clinics and the ER, he said. 

“We support the discontinuation of the measures in Germany,” Christine Vogler, President of the German Nursing Council, told the newspapers of the Funke Mediengruppe on Wednesday.

“The people who work in the health sector in Germany are competent enough to deal with the situation.”

READ ALSO: Most Germany-wide Covid measures to expire on March 1st

‘Situation has stabilised’

Lauterbach justified the relaxation of rules – which had originally been planned for April 7th – by stating that “the coronavirus situation in Germany has stabilised”

He encouraged people to continue wearing masks voluntarily “on the basis of personal responsibility”, adding that “the virus should not be trivialised” and warning of potential longer-term health impacts.

Several factors have contributed to the measures being repealed, Lauterbach said, including a higher level of immunity in the public and a reduced chance of new mutations, which means a spring resurgence of the coronavirus is unlikely.

Germany has been progressively repealing coronavirus protection measures. On February 2nd, it dropped a nationwide requirement to wear a face mask on buses and trains, after several states had already let go of the rule. 

On April 7th, the last of Germany’s nationwide coronavirus measures will expire, “and then an extension is no longer planned,” said Lauterbach.  

The first cases of Covid-19 were reported in January 2020 in Germany, with a wide-scale outbreak in March 2020, leading to the closure of public life and strict rules on gatherings, face masks, testing and quarantine.

By March 1st, Germany had reported 38,168,933 coronavirus cases, and a total of 168,129 people who died with or from the virus, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). 

Vocabulary

care homes – Pflegeheim

repealed – aufgehoben

vulnerable groups – (die) Risikogruppen

discontinuation – (der) Wegfall

We’re aiming to help our readers improve their German by translating vocabulary from some of our news stories. Did you find this article useful? Let us know.

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HEALTH

Could there be a new wave of Covid-19 in Germany this autumn?

It’s back again: amid sinking temperatures, the incidence of Covid-19 has been slowly rising in Germany. But is this enough to merit worrying about the virus?

Published: 20 September 2023 12:05 CEST
Updated: 20 September 2023 22:22 CEST
Could there be a new wave of Covid-19 in Germany this autumn?

More people donning face masks in supermarkets, friends cancelling plans last minute due to getting sick with Covid-19. We might have seen some of those familiar reminders recently that the coronavirus is still around, but could there really be a resurgence of the virus like we experienced during the pandemic years?

According to virologists, the answer seems to be ‘maybe’: since July, the number of people newly infected with Covid-19 has been slowly rising from a very low level.

According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), nine people per 100,000 inhabitants became newly infected in Germany last week. A year ago, there were only around 270 reported cases.

Various Corona variants are currently on the loose in the country. According to the RKI,  the EG.5 (also called Eris) and XBB.1.16 lines were each detected in the week ending September 3rd with a share of just under 23 percent. 

The highly mutated variant BA.2.86 (Pirola), which is currently under observation by the World Health Organisation (WHO), also arrived in the country this week, according to RKI. 

High number of unreported case

The RKI epidemiologists also warned about a high number of unreported cases since hardly any testing is done. They pointed out that almost half of all registered sewage treatment plants report an increasing viral load in wastewater tests.

The number of hospital admissions has also increased slightly, but are still a far cry from the occupation rate amid the pandemic. Last week it was two per 100,000 inhabitants. In the intensive care units, only 1.2 percent of all beds are occupied by Covid-19 patients.

Still, a good three-quarters (76.4 percent) of people in Germany have been vaccinated at least twice and thus have basic immunity, reported RKI. 

Since Monday, doctors’ offices have been vaccinating with the adapted vaccine from Biontech/Pfizer, available to anyone over 12 years old, with a vaccine for small children set to be released the following week and one for those between 5 and 11 to come out October 2nd.

But Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has so far only recommended that people over 60 and those with pre-existing conditions get vaccinated.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Who should get a Covid jab this autumn in Germany?

“The pandemic is over, the virus remains,” he said. “We cannot predict the course of coming waves of corona, but it is clear that older people and people with pre-existing conditions remain at higher risk of becoming severely ill from Covid-19”

The RKI also recommended that people with a cold voluntarily wear a mask. Anyone exhibiting cough, cold, sore throat or other symptoms of a respiratory illness should voluntarily stay at home for three to five days and take regular corona self-tests. 

However, further measures such as contact restrictions are not necessary, he said.

One of many diseases

As of this autumn, Covid-19 could be one of many respiratory diseases. As with influenza, there are no longer absolute infection figures for coronavirus.

Saarbrücken pharmacist Thorsten Lehr told German broadcaster ZDF that self-protection through vaccinations, wearing a mask and getting tested when symptoms appear are prerequisites for surviving the Covid autumn well. 

Only a new, more aggressive mutation could completely turn the game around, he added.

On April 7th of this year, Germany removed the last of its over two-year long coronavirus restrictions, including mask-wearing in some public places.

READ ALSO: German doctors recommend Covid-19 self-tests amid new variant

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