Germany could make COVID test or vaccine mandatory for public transport

 Do you want to take the bus or train in Germany?

It may soon be necessary to provide a negative COVID-19 test or evidence of recent vaccination or recovery, as the country becomes the latest in Europe to consider drastic measures to address a new wave of cases in the region.

Germany posted another record rate of cases last week on Monday, as more indoor gatherings due to cold weather and flattened vaccination campaigns turned Europe once again into the epicenter of the pandemic.

This fourth wave of infections is challenging a government in transition, with three parties negotiating to form the next government following September’s inconclusive elections.

Center-left Social Democrats, Greens and pro-business FDP said on Monday they would add tougher measures to their bill under scrutiny by the Bundestag (lower house of parliament) to tackle the epidemic.

So-called 3G rules requiring a negative COVID-19 test or proof of recovery or vaccination should apply to public transportation and workplaces, according to a three-party policy paper.

It was not clear how they would be applied.

“To break the fourth wave quickly and forcefully we have agreed … more rules,” Senior Green MP Kathrin Goering-Eckardt said on Twitter.

However, he told reporters later that there was no agreement on mandatory vaccination in certain sectors such as nursing homes, highlighting a split in the would-be government between his party and the SPD on the one hand, and the FDP. more libertarian on the other. .

The proposal for new curbs in Germany came when the Austrian government on Monday imposed a blockade on people not vaccinated against the coronavirus. to know more

Some other European countries require passengers to provide vaccination proofs or tests for long distance travel on public transport. But it is unclear whether others require it for urban transport.

The Bundestag is expected to vote on the bill on Thursday so that it can go into effect before the expiry of the German state of emergency on November 25, which had provided the legal basis for previous measures against the pandemic.

In addition to national regulations, the new law aims to provide the 16 German states with a number of options that can be applied separately, as the infection rate varies greatly from one country to another. Higher rates can be found in regions with the lowest vaccination rates, namely eastern and southern Germany.

But the new bill excludes measures like school lockouts and curfews applied during the first waves of the pandemic, prompting criticism from some policymakers that diminish risk perception and flexibility. to know more

Germany’s vaccination rate, at 67%, is among the lowest in Western Europe, which could threaten its relatively strong performance to date in tackling the pandemic.

So far, it has recorded about 1,164 deaths per million people from COVID-19 compared to 1,828 on average in the European Union, according to data from November 14 from Our World in Data.

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