Germany promotes restricted transport use by the unvaccinated

A plan that includes stricter restrictions on unvaccinated Germans amid a continuing rise in new coronavirus cases is being proposed by parties expected to form the country’s next coalition government.

Among other things, the plan of the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the Free Democrats (FDP) includes proposals to limit the use of public transport by the unvaccinated, according to a Financial Times article.

More specifically, the proposal of the three political parties stipulates that anyone who uses buses or trains should present a negative test, a vaccination certificate or a coronavirus recovery certificate. Their plan, in fact, provides for similar restrictions for workplaces.

“This is actually a lockdown for the unvaccinated,” said Dirk Wiese, deputy head of the SPD parliamentary group.

The SPD, the Greens and the FDP are in talks to form the next coalition government to take over from Angela Merkel’s coalition government in Germany, with the three parties holding a combined majority of Bundestag seats after the election. of September.

Like neighboring Switzerland and Austria, Germany has one of the highest rates of unvaccinated citizens in the European Union. About 30% of its population has not been vaccinated against coronavirus.

The proposal for restrictive measures for unvaccinated Germans comes after criticism from the three parties over last week’s bill, ending emergency powers given to the federal government to deal with the pandemic. The bill also prohibits federal states from closing hotels or businesses in their territories.

The bill has been heavily criticized for the sharp rise in new coronavirus cases in the country. The seven-day average rose to 300 per 100,000 people on Monday. Meanwhile, intensive care units are under increasing pressure, with doctors reporting that about 90% of those treated have not been vaccinated.

In this context, the three parties proposed a package of amendments to the bill aimed at unvaccinated citizens, while at the same time giving regional governments the opportunity to restrict public events in areas with high incidence rates.

The head of the FDP, Christian Lindner, said that this plan will ensure a balance, as it will allow the vaccinated to maintain a certain normality. “Those who have been vaccinated must retain the opportunity to have a social life – anything else would be disproportionate,” he told RTL.

The developers of the application Luca, which has become the main contact detection platform in Germany, said that in October 72% of the warnings published in its application came from clubs and bars.

On Monday, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called on non-vaccinated people to be vaccinated, saying they were endangering their own health and society. “If you are still hesitant to get vaccinated, I want to ask you directly today: What else needs to happen to convince you?” The German president asked.