Prime Minister Volker Bouffier also wants to introduce the 2G rule in Hesse. The reactions of innkeepers, hairdressers and organizers vary.
The approval of the so-called 2G model planned by Hesse’s Prime Minister Volker Bouffier (CDU) has met with skepticism from many of the providers concerned. Both the Hessian hospitality industry and the hairdressing trade accused the state government of shifting the debate about vaccination quotas and vaccination readiness to the companies.
“Politics cannot decide, so it is passed on to the economy via the house rules,” said René Hain, managing director of the state guild association of the hairdressing trade in Hesse, the German press agency. The Hessian Chamber of Commerce and Industry was also very cautious about the plans.
Bouffier had announced that the state government’s Corona cabinet will probably allow the Corona 2G model for Hessian restaurateurs, organizers and hairdressers in its next meeting on Tuesday. The state’s new Corona regulation is therefore intended to give private providers the option of only allowing people who have been vaccinated and recovered (2G) access to their rooms.
3G will be retained in local public transport
Organizers, hosts and hairdressers should then be able to decide for themselves whether they only let in vaccinated and recovered people, who are then largely exempt from the corona restrictions, said a government spokesman. In public services such as when visiting authorities and in public transport, however, the 3G model remains, which also includes those who tested negative. The current Hessian corona regulation is limited to September 16.
Whether the member companies will use the model depends on the individual situation, said Hain. Hairdressers, 90 percent of whom are regular customers who have been vaccinated twice, could perhaps benefit from the elimination of the corona restrictions, because they are primarily concerned with the distance rule because it currently means that significantly fewer customers can be served than usual. If the distance rule falls thanks to the 2G model, that could be a competitive advantage, said Hain.
Corona in Frankfurt: is the 2G rule coming?
With a lower proportion of vaccinated regular customers, on the other hand, there is the risk that too many customers will migrate to the competition and the salons will spoil their business with 2G. Hardly anyone will make their vaccination decision dependent on whether they can make an appointment with the hairdresser – especially if the 2G model does not apply across the board.
Volker Bouffier (archive picture): The Hessian Prime Minister brought the 2G rule for the state into discussion. (Source: Jürgen Heinrich / imago images)
The hospitality industry says: “A fundamental debate is being carried to the threshold of the restaurant door,” said Julius Wagner, the general manager of the Dehoga trade association in Hesse. “After months, which were already marked by unfortunate discussions with many guests about the mask requirement, the recording of contact data, distance regulations & Co., this is now a core debate from the middle of society. After all, the question here is whether or not to get vaccinated not, all at once in the room. “
From Wagner’s point of view, whether the possible 2G model is used or not depends largely on the freedoms granted in return. “At least the distance regulations would have to be dropped without ifs and buts, including the mask requirement.” And that must also be possible for clubs and discos in the dance industry.
The considerations are also met with skepticism from the organizers. Many companies were badly shaken by the corona measures, the aid programs had not brought the affected sub-sectors what they had hoped for for a long time, and many complaints were made about unequal treatment, said Wolfgang Weyand, spokesman for the creative industries cluster in Hesse. “The electoral tactical discussion of whether to switch from 3G to 2G is not the universal solution.”
Plans for 2G in Hessen: “Do not want to exclude any customers”
“The advance makes the Hessian economy rather at a loss,” explained the managing director of the Hessian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Robert Lippmann. Many companies would then be faced with a difficult decision. “Of course, everyone wants to ensure the greatest possible security. But hardly anyone wants to exclude customers who are verifiably healthy or have not been vaccinated for various reasons.” This ultimately also included pregnant women, previously ill and other groups.
In order to defuse potential conflicts due to the corona access rules, uniform legal requirements are necessary from the point of view of experts. “It needs a clear, clear norm,” said the Marburg social psychologist Ulrich Wagner. The 2G rule would worsen the situation of those who oppose vaccination and make it easier for those in favor – so there is great potential for conflict. That is why uniform regulations are so important.
Politics shouldn’t be fooling around, Wagner continued. Rather, it should stand uniformly behind the 2G model, also to prevent mistrust and to send the message to opponents of vaccinations: “You are the minority here.” If the 2G rule nevertheless comes, the local companies should rely on clear messages to avoid escalations, advises the researcher.
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