Germans will be required to wear masks on public transport and in shops until next spring, including for vaccinated people, according to a leaked health ministry report.
Continued measures will be needed this autumn and winter to reduce infections among the unvaccinated and prevent the health system from becoming overwhelmed, said the report sent to regional governments and members of the Bundestag.
While it stated that a lockdown “as drastic as in the second and third waves will probably not be necessary”, continued adherence to basic measures such as mask-wearing would remain.
That meant masks would remain compulsory “into spring 2022” especially for public transport and in shops “for everyone, also for the vaccinated and recovered”. The ministry said that from September, regardless of the infection rate, hotel stays, indoor restaurant visits, sports and major events should be restricted to people who were either vaccinated, recovered or had tested negative. It added that unvaccinated people in particular could be excluded from some events.
“A fourth wave is looming — albeit still (!) at a low level,” the ministry said. “In addition to the increased introduction of infections by returning holidaymakers, the contact behaviour of the population is currently gradually approaching the behaviour of the time before the pandemic.” The virus would be “seasonally amplified” in autumn and winter.
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Angela Merkel, the chancellor, plans to meet the heads of the 16 state governments on August 10 for talks on the government’s response to rising infections. Last month she warned that infection rates were rising again at a “worrying” rate and urged Germans to get vaccinated. Cases have risen steadily since then, with 3,571 new infections reported on Wednesday, up 803 from last Wednesday.
