Corona Protection Ordinance for NRW
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Many measures fall – mask requirement remains indoors
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Masks are not compulsory outdoors in NRW, indoors they remain in place for the time being (symbolic image).
Photo: dpa/Karl-Josef Hildenbrand
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The mask requirement indoors remains, contact restrictions are no longer applicable: In North Rhine-Westphalia, several corona measures are being extended until April 2 in view of the increasing number of infections.
In the middle of an intensified wave of infections, essential corona protection measures are no longer applicable. North Rhine-Westphalia is taking a more cautious approach. In a transitional period, masks are still mandatory.
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To do this, the state government is using the transitional regulation in the amended Infection Protection Act, said Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU) on Friday. Accordingly, mask regulations indoors, such as when shopping, remain in place during the transitional period, while masks are no longer compulsory outdoors.
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“We all long for an end to the pandemic. Unfortunately, many in their company, in their private lives or through their own infection are realizing that the pandemic is not over,” said Laumann.
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That is why NRW is using the opportunity and extending many protective measures until April 2nd. “Social, economic and cultural life is essentially normal,” emphasized Laumann. “Let’s not jeopardize the successes of the last few months by dropping the remaining protective measures too early.”
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“The pandemic has lasted for more than two years, and we all long for the day when we can reduce the corona restrictions in general, but especially in our schools, on the way to more normality,” said School Minister Yvonne Gebauer (FDP). “In view of the sometimes dramatic effects on children and young people over the past two years, they must not be left behind in the forthcoming easing.”
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The measures in detail:
schools: The care ordinance at the schools of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the applicable hygiene and infection protection measures, including the obligation to wear masks and tests, will remain in force until April 2nd. In accordance with the federal regulations, the unprovoked tests at the schools should continue unchanged until the beginning of the Easter holidays on April 11th and not be resumed after the holidays.
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Contact restrictions: According to federal law, the personal contact restrictions, which had already been completely abolished for immunized people, are now also abolished for non-vaccinated people.
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Personal limits and mask requirement at events: All facilities and events where the occupancy rate was previously limited to 60 or 75 percent or by absolute maximums can now be fully occupied again. However, the mask requirements indoors and at events with more than 1000 people also indoors remain in place.
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Fewer access restrictions and no mask requirement outdoors: Access restrictions such as the 3G rule no longer apply to offers for youth work, outdoor sports, meetings, weddings and celebrations in private rooms. For major events and in leisure areas such as theatres, museums, cinemas, zoos, hotels and restaurants as well as folk festivals, 3G (vaccinated, recovered or tested) still applies in the transitional period. 2G plus continues to apply in clubs and discotheques, i.e. only vaccinated people with an additional negative corona test have access. The obligation to wear masks outdoors will be lifted where it previously applied. The recommendation to wear mouth and nose protection in situations with many people in a confined space still applies.
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The Bundestag had previously passed the controversial new Infection Protection Act on Friday, which provides for most nationwide corona requirements to expire this Sunday. However, it allows the countries to temporarily maintain most protective measures for two weeks until April 2nd.
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Deputy Prime Minister Joachim Stamp (FDP) defended the omission of most of the Corona requirements. He does not share the criticism of the Federal Infection Protection Act, said the family minister on Friday on radio station WDR2. The measures were aimed at protecting the hospitals from being overloaded. This danger does not currently exist with the Omikron variant. If the hotspot rule is needed at all, it can be implemented very quickly, Stamp said. In addition, the Bundestag and Bundesrat could, in an emergency, restart the entire range of measures within five days.
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