Germany debates tighter Covid restrictions for the unvaccinated

Germany’s caretaker chancellor Angela Merkel is pushing for tighter nationwide Covid-19 restrictions for the unvaccinated after her health minister warned that this group is experiencing a “massive” fourth wave.

With some regions registering record incidence rates, some of Germany’s 16 federal states – with frontline responsibility for schools, health and other pandemic-relevant competences – are already tightening up rules.

Until this week the Merkel administration promised not to introduce mandatory vaccination, hoping to win over sceptics with arguments. On Wednesday, however, with a third of the population still not fully vaccinated, Berlin officials demanded that state leaders meet soon to agree new restrictions for the unvaccinated in the run-up to Christmas.

“Currently we are experiencing mainly a pandemic of the unvaccinated – and it is massive,” said Jens Spahn, caretaker health minister until a new coalition government is formed. “In some regions in Germany intensive care beds are running out again.”

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At a press conference on Wednesday he expressed frustration at the relatively low vaccination rate by western Europe standards. Germany would have “significantly fewer” intensive care patients if more people got their jab and the sluggish pace of booster jabs was increased.

At present there is no requirement for German employers to check whether their staff are vaccinated. Instead, various workplace testing regimes are in operation from state to state.

Concentrating minds in Germany this week, however, was the death of 11 vaccinated residents of an old-age care home in Brandenburg, where only half of the staff were found to be vaccinated.

Negative test

The summer saw a roll-back of many pandemic restrictions in Germany, allowing restaurants, cafes, as well as sport and culture venues to welcome back patrons who can show a negative test or either proof of vaccination or recovery from Covid-19.

Some venues adopted even tighter rules, admitting only vaccinated or recovered.

In parallel with looser restrictions, though, Germany has been quietly tightening up rules for those not yet vaccinated. Last month Berlin ended a nationwide free-to-user rapid testing regime bankrolled by the state. Now the unvaccinated must pay about €40 each time for a rapid test.

As of November 1st, meanwhile, Germany has reformed a programme where employers of staff required to quarantine at home could claim back from the state the pay of the absent employee. Now this system only applies to those who have been vaccinated.

With more than 20,000 cases – and nearly 200 deaths – within 24 hours, Germany’s seven-day incidence of infections per 100,000 people is around 150.

On Wednesday the southern state of Bavaria said it is experiencing record levels of new Covid-19 infections, with no intensive care beds free in some virus hotspots.

Like the neighbouring southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, the state government in Munich is rolling out contact restrictions for the unvaccinated in hardest-hit regions. The unvaccinated are now required to present a negative result from more expensive PCR tests to gain access to indoor facilities such as pools, gyms, cinemas and restaurants.

Full force

Bavarian state leader Markus Söder insisted on Wednesday that “we need a common line” among 16 state leaders because “sadly, Covid is back with full force”.

In neighbouring Saxony, with the second highest rate of new infections, new rules from next week will exclude the unvaccinated from indoor venues such as restaurants and cafes.

Despite rising numbers – and a season of Christmas markets and parties ahead – some western states not experiencing a fourth wave say they see no reason yet for additional restrictions.

Meanwhile a new alliance of pandemic sceptics, politicians and television philosophers have pushed back against new restrictions, saying it amounts to mandatory vaccination by the back door.

Writer and television philosopher Richard David Precht told a German talk show it was “not the role of the state” to eliminate risk of illness for all citizens, in particular among those who have chosen not to be vaccinated. “We have to roll back all Covid restrictions,” he said.