Even after a court ruling to the contrary in Lower Saxony, the federal government is sticking to special corona requirements for retailers. Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said in Berlin on Friday that the access rule only makes sense for vaccinated and convalescent people (2G). The Federal Government is also convinced that the Infection Protection Act is clear on this matter and forms a good framework.
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said that it made no epidemiological or health policy sense to overturn such rules now. This applies in particular because of the impending wave with the new virus variant Omikron, said the SPD politician in Hanover.
Higher administrative court overturns 2G in Lower Saxony
The Lower Saxony Higher Administrative Court overturned the 2G rule in retail on Thursday, which the federal and state governments had agreed nationwide at the beginning of December. The trade association protests against the regulation, and complaints have already been received in several courts. In Schleswig-Holstein, however, an urgent application against the 2G rule was rejected by the competent court. There the judges referred to the new, more contagious Omicron variant.
With a view to a possible renewed federal-state meeting before Christmas, Hebestreit said that Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) did not consider another Prime Minister’s conference to be mandatory for the time being. If the countries wanted such advice, it would have to be discussed. (dpa)