It is probably a big day of joy for the professional sports clubs in Germany and their supporters: the clubs are allowed to fully utilize their stadiums and halls again. The prerequisite is the approval of the Bundestag for the new draft of the Infection Protection Act. However, the clubs must first observe some conditions.
Transitional arrangement until the beginning of April
Because not all protective measures could be eliminated immediately: According to the draft, the federal states will have the opportunity until April 2nd to continue to apply the current Infection Protection Act. For example, they can specify a mask requirement or access regulations, such as having to be vaccinated or recovered. Many countries have already announced that they will take advantage of this rule.
At the latest after the end of the transitional model, at the beginning of April, the last protective measures in sport will also become obsolete – the fans will then be able to come back to the stadiums and halls without a mask and proof of vaccination or recovery at the latest.
Only hotspot regulation can prevent full stadiums
The upper limits for viewers will already be removed if the new law, which is to apply from Sunday, is confirmed. “However, the Bundestag could decide to tighten it again at any time“, explained Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The new law would be valid until September 23. Then the situation should be reassessed.
The federal states have a back door: They can continue to impose stricter measures regionally, especially in so-called hotspot regions. “It is possible to define entire countries as hotspots. But this must be well thought out and justified“, said Berlin’s governing mayor Franziska Giffey. Then mask requirements, access regulations or capacity limitations could also play a role again.