BERLIN – Germany’s health minister said that the country may need to reintroduce requirements to wear face masks in public this fall after lawmakers rejected a proposed coronavirus vaccine mandate.
Karl Lauterbach acknowledged that the Bundestag’s vote against requiring people aged 60 and over to be vaccinated against COVID-19 was a personal setback for him.
The rejected bill was a water-down compromise proposed after some government lawmakers refused to back a vaccine mandate for all adults.
The vote was “a clear and bitter defeat for all those who advocate compulsory vaccinations,” said Lauterbach according to AP, adding that as a result “the room for maneuver to further relax the rules has been completely exhausted.”
Germany recently ended the requirement to wear masks in many indoor settings, though they are still compulsory on public transport.
Lauterbach also urged people to get tested for COVID-19 before traveling to visit relatives over the Easter vacation.
The number of new infections in Germany is on a steady downward trajectory, with 175,263 additional confirmed cases reported in the past 24 hours – down from a recent peak of almost 300,000 a day. But there continue to be some 300 COVID-related deaths a day, he said.
