Weekly happenings in Germany's federal parliament, the Bundestag
The German government has presented a new draft bill to amend the Infection Protection Act, aiming to further manage the ongoing pandemic. This bill builds upon earlier amendments, such as the December 2021 revision that imposed a vaccine mandate for healthcare and care facility workers.
As of mid-2024, a new draft amendment was submitted by the Federal Ministry of Health and adopted by the Federal Council with numerous amendments. While the exact measures in this 2024 amendment draft are not yet fully disclosed, it seems to continue addressing measures like vaccination mandates and protections tailored to managing the pandemic.
Key points from the pandemic response related to the Infection Protection Act include:
- Vaccine mandates for healthcare and care facility workers remain in place.
- There have been discussions about extending mandates to wider age groups, such as those over 60, although some legislative proposals have failed in parliament, indicating a cautious approach to broad mandates.
- Legal challenges and regional differences in enforcement have been evident, demonstrating a balance between public health priorities and legal or political constraints.
The new draft bill also includes several notable measures:
- Federal states will have specific options for action to control the pandemic while respecting fundamental rights.
- The laws on the forgery of health certificates are being expanded to include vaccination and test certificates.
- The German government will top up the SHI subsidy by another seven billion euros in 2022, bringing it to a total of 28.5 billion euros.
- 2G/3G/3GPlus/2GPlus rules and capacity restrictions will be implemented in leisure and cultural facilities and at events.
- Unvaccinated individuals may be subject to limits on contact in private and public spaces.
- The Draft Bill to Amend the Infection Protection Act will be voted on this week.
- Measures such as maintaining distance, mandatory mask-wearing, and implementing hygiene concepts will be encouraged.
Moreover, home office work will be reinforced where operationally feasible, and hospitals will receive a temporary surcharge for treating patients with a COVID-19 infection. Doctors who issue false health certificates will also be criminally responsible, and the use of forged vaccination certificates and test certificates will be strictly penalized.
As of now, more than two-thirds of citizens in the country are fully vaccinated. However, federal states can temporarily close leisure facilities like discotheques under certain circumstances. The nationwide mandatory 3G rule will be implemented in workplaces and public transport.
These measures are intended to provide a comprehensive response to the ongoing pandemic, balancing public health concerns with respect for individual rights and the rule of law. The German Bundestag will approve the regulation this week, providing further clarity on the exact details of the new draft amendment.
[1] [Source 1] [2] [Source 2]
- The new draft bill, set to be voted on this week, aims to further manage the ongoing pandemic and continues addressing measures like vaccination mandates and protections tailored to managing the pandemic.
- The German government has expanded the laws on the forgery of health certificates to include vaccination and test certificates as a part of the new draft amendment.
- While discussions about extending vaccine mandates to wider age groups have taken place, some legislative proposals have failed in parliament, indicating a cautious approach to broad mandates.
- The draft amendment also includes a provision that encourages home office work where operationally feasible and temporary surcharges for hospitals treating patients with a COVID-19 infection.
- The new draft amendment is part of a comprehensive response to the ongoing pandemic, balancing public health concerns with respect for individual rights and the rule of law, and further policy-and-legislation discussions on health-and-wellness, workplace-wellness, mental-health, and fitness-and-exercise are expected in politics and general-news. [Source 1, Source 2]
