German Parliament Approves Revised COVID-19 Measures Ending Nationwide Curbs

BERLIN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th November, 2021) The lower house of the German parliament approved a bill on Thursday to replace the existing law on infection protection, paving the way for the nationwide state of COVID-19 emergency to expire on November 25.

The motion was passed in a 398-254 vote. It was proposed and backed by Germany's likely next coalition of Social Democrats, pro-business Free Democrats and the Greens. The outgoing ruling conservatives and the far-right AfD voted against, while the Left abstained.

The bill allows lawmakers to agree to a federally applicable rulebook of anti-virus measures that can be passed at short notice depending on the situation. States will be able to impose limits on contacts in public and private life and shut companies, institutions and events at their own discretion.

Protective measures like mandatory mask-wearing, social distancing, hygiene rules and the submission of COVID-19 certificates will remain in place at least until March 20 of next year.

The law providing the outgoing government of Chancellor Angela Merkel with a legal framework for nationwide restrictions was adopted in March 2020. Merkel said on Wednesday that the nation was hit hard by a fourth wave of the pandemic, with infection rates spiking to unprecedented highs.

Stephan Stracke, a member of Merkel's CDU/CSU union bloc, criticized the center-left initiative for not "doing justice" to the health crisis and accused the incoming coalition government of having no plan. Social Democrat Sabine Dittmar defended the bill, saying the SPD was ready to take over political responsibility for coronavirus response.