Masks will be mandatory on airplanes and long-distance trains and buses in Germany from October to early April.
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The requirement to wear masks and present a negative Covid-19 test will be binding on hospitals, nursing homes and similar institutions where people at higher risk are present.
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Other rules will be implemented by the 16 federal states individually, depending on the spread of the virus in the regions. These could include requiring masks to be worn on local public transport, for pupils in schools from the fifth grade onwards, at public indoor events.
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If the number of infections increases, institutions such as schools, prisons and asylum centers will be able to demand regular tests, Germany’s health and justice ministers confirmed in a joint statement.
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“Germany must be better prepared for the next coronavirus winter than in previous years,” Health Minister Karl Lauterbach stressed, adding that the vaccination campaign will start in the fall with new vaccines.
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As the Minister of Justice Marko Buschman pointed out, special efforts should be made to keep schools open.
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The new rules must be approved by the government and parliament, which is expected to happen without too much fuss.
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