The federal states of Saxony and Thuringia are following the previous easing decisions by other federal states for retail. The two countries want to rely on 3G rules instead of 2G.
The 3G regulation for retail and 2G instead of 2G plus for gastronomy has been in force again in Saxony since Tuesday. Health Minister Petra Köpping justified the easing with the low incidence compared to the other federal states. Köpping drew a comparison with other federal states, which, despite higher values, have relaxed the restrictions on retail – it is a matter of “catching up”. The new regulation is expected to come into effect on Sunday.
On Tuesday, Thuringia also announced that the 2G regulation for retail would be lifted, which is due to come into force on Monday. A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health announced this after a cabinet meeting. The omicron wave, which was decisive for the nationwide 2G decision, has not yet arrived in Thuringia and, according to a government spokesman, is not expected for another two weeks.
In December last year, the federal and state governments decided on the 2G rule for large parts of the retail trade in view of the increasing incidence values. In several federal states, trade associations spoke out against the regulation. In federal states such as Bavaria and Saarland, courts suspended the 2G restrictions from enforcement.
In January, Bavaria announced the first easing decision, followed by Lower Saxony, Baden-Württemberg and Schleswig-Holstein. A relaxation is also planned for Hesse in the next week. Other federal states such as Berlin are still sticking to the 2G regulation. (dpa/ Fashion United)