(Credit: dpa)

The German Parliament – the Bundestag – has voted on a new law that will replace the Epidemic Situation of National Concern set to expire on Nov. 25, 2021.

The new legislation includes mandatory daily testing for employees and visitors of care homes, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated or not. The 3G rule has been expanded to require people to show proof of full vaccination or recovery or a valid negative COVID test for workplaces and on public transport.

The law also gives new powers to the federal states in order to retain or introduce new restrictive measures. This measure includes restricting or prohibiting recreational, cultural, and sporting events, among others.

The State of Saxony is mulling a two to three week-long lockdown in order to break the chain of infections. The current 7-day incidence in Saxony stands at 761.4. Such a move would inevitably affect performances at the Semperoper Dresden.

Caretaker Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Prime Ministers of German federal states have agreed to implement the strict 2G rule throughout Germany. The 2G rule will enable entry to cultural venues, restaurants, sporting events and other facilities in closed spaces only to the vaccinated and recovered, regardless of the incidence. The rule has already been adopted in Berlin, Bavaria and Saxony. The authorities will also consider compulsory vaccination for certain categories, such as health workers and in care homes.

If a threshold of 6 COVID patients in hospitals per 100,000 inhabitants is reached, 2G+ rule comes into effect in all federal states in order to avoid an emergency. 2G+ rule assumes that vaccinated and recovered must also test negative in order to enter the closed spaces.