Law Proposal by Merkel to Revise Law on Disease Control and Prevention
German Government Planned to Centralize COVID-19 Measures in 2021
Union MPs, with the support of their faction leadership, had planned an initiative to amend the Infection Protection Act in 2021, enabling the federal government to issue COVID-19 measures by decree. This move was reported in the Thursday edition of "Bild" and was reportedly supported by government circles.
The proposed changes aimed to standardize COVID-19 measures across Germany, allowing the federal government to issue nationwide restrictions, as opposed to the current system where each state has its own measures. If successful, the federal government would also be authorized to impose restrictions, in addition to state governments.
The changes were in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and were designed to require districts to tighten measures in response to increased incidence and R values, as well as other factors. At a meeting on 18 November 2021, Chancellor Angela Merkel and other leaders agreed on using the hospitalization incidence as a new benchmark for tougher anti-pandemic measures.
Merkel had criticized the previously used seven-day incidence metric, calling it "a toothless tiger" due to the lack of clear thresholds. The amendment established hospitalization incidence as the main metric for triggering restrictions.
The key amendment was implemented in September 2021, establishing hospitalization incidence thresholds as part of the legal framework for pandemic control in Germany. This included criteria such as hospitalizations per 100,000 residents, vaccination rates, and ICU occupancy to trigger different levels of restrictions, such as the 2G and 2G+ rules.
Since Merkel stepped down in December 2021, the leadership and responsibility for infection control measures have passed to her successor, Olaf Scholz, and the respective ministers. No later search results indicate any newer proposals or amendments by Merkel herself to centralize or standardize COVID-19 measures in Germany after 2021. The latest Infection Protection Act framework continues to reference the thresholds and rules established at that time.
[1] Source: German Infection Protection Act framework
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