After more than two years of the pandemic, most countries have announced the temporary end of the corona measures. In Germany, too, the measures have largely fallen – despite the high number of infections. Mask and test obligation, that was once.
This brought the German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (59) to the scene. He warns once morest «Picture on Sunday» already before new corona waves in autumn.
New “killer variant” might cause unrest
Because: According to Lauterbach, a new “killer variant” might cause unrest this year and cause the number of infections to skyrocket.
“There are a number of omicron subvariants evolving that are of concern to me. The intervals at which new variants replace the old ones are becoming ever shorter,” says Lauterbach. This would mean that society would be less and less able to prepare for the mutations.
“It’s entirely possible that we might get a highly contagious omicron variant that’s as deadly as Delta. That would be an absolute killer option,” the health minister is certain.
Lauterbach hunts for vaccines
In order to be one step ahead of the impending danger, Lauterbach now wants to order a vaccine on a large scale. “We’ll get vaccine that protects once morest the omicron variants.” Such is expected in September, so Lauterbach to “Bild am Sonntag”. The goal is clear: to have enough vaccine for every citizen, no matter which variants may come.
All’s well that ends well? Not quite. Because Lauterbach sees dark times ahead despite the Omicron vaccine. “The situation will change once more in autumn, then the cases will increase, then there will probably be new mutations, or the number of cases with omicron infections will increase sharply.”
Will the mask make a comeback in autumn?
According to Lauterbach, the mask might definitely make a comeback indoors in autumn. The problem: He can’t just order it. Because according to the new Infection Protection Act, the mask requirement only applies to hospitals and public transport.
The federal government must therefore edit the law once more, according to Lauterbach. “It may well be necessary and legally achievable once more that we make wearing masks indoors compulsory once more.”
For Lauterbach it is clear how such a scenario might be prevented: with compulsory vaccination. But because the German Bundestag rejected such a move with a large majority, nothing will come of it now. “The failure of compulsory vaccination was a bitter disappointment,” says the minister. The German population would now suffer from this. “After a good summer, the large vaccination gap can give us a hard autumn.” (ced)
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