Senate wants to quickly implement stricter rules for the restaurant sector

The Berlin Senate wants to quickly implement stricter access rules for restaurants, which were approved by the federal and state governments in order to to curb the Coronavirus pandemic.

Stricter face mask mandate and simplified quarantine rules planned

This was confirmed by the Senator for Health, Ulrike Gote, in an interview with the newspaper "Berliner Morgenpost (January 10, 2022). Berlin is prepared to implement the new rules this week, the Green Party politician stated with regard to the Senate meeting on Tuesday, including the simplified quarantine rules approved by the federal and state governments. "The shortened quarantine for contact cases and the isolation of infected persons will also be implemented in Berlin," Gote said. "We will also discuss how to implement the federal recommendation for FFP2 masks on public transport."

2G-plus regulation planned in restaurants

During consultations with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) last Friday, the heads of government of the German states had agreed on a 2G-plus regulation for restaurants, pubs and cafés against the background of the feared omicron wave. In the future, only those who have been boostered or double-vaccinated with a daily test are to be granted access there.

Exemptions from quarantine mandate for some contact cases

Also new: Those who were in contact with infected persons will be exempt from quarantine in the future if they already got their third booster vaccination, recently got their second vaccination, are fully vaccinated and recovered from a Covid-infection, or are newly recovered from an infection. "Newly" or "recently" here refers to a time frame of up to three months. For all others, isolation or quarantine should generally end after ten days. There is a possibility to end quarantine ahead of schedule, after seven days, if the persons provides a negative test result. This regulation is intended to ensure the functioning of critical infrastructure, e.g. in the healthcare sector, the police or the fire department.

Quarantine rule should be as uncomplicated as possible

Senator Gote wants to make the new quarantine rule in Berlin, which is not straightforward, as simple as possible. "I think that the rules we will decide on in Berlin still need to be understood," she said in the interview. "However, we have to be prepared that, in view of the high infection numbers which are going to rise even higher, we're not going to be able to ensure contact tracing the way we did during the first waves of infections."