Lauterbach continues to refuse to lift the isolation requirement at this point in time

Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) has again warned against lifting corona measures such as the obligation to isolate too quickly. “We are on the eve of a particularly contagious variant, the courses have not become more harmless,” said Lauterbach on Tuesday in the ZDF “Morgenmagazin”. “Why should we take such a risk?”

This also applies to nursing homes. If, for example, the obligation to isolate was lifted, more people would go to work infected and would endanger other employees and residents. In general, the nursing homes would have to be given rules on protective measures and vaccinations so that, for example, a private operator does not decide that nursing staff could come to work infected.

In view of the isolation obligation that has already been lifted in some federal states, Lauterbach does not expect this measure to be history with the next prime ministerial conference on December 8th. “I don’t think that’s going to happen.” At the same time, Lauterbach urged patience: “We are on the verge of one last wave of winter, we have to do it again.”

The requirements for isolation in the event of a corona infection and also for quarantine in the event of contact with an infected person are regulated at state level in Germany. Several federal states, including Bavaria and Schleswig-Holstein, have now completely abolished the obligation to isolate people infected with corona, citing the changed nature of the  pandemic  and the falling number of infections as the reason. In their place, there is an obligation to wear a mask outside of your own home for people infected with corona.