Germany plans return to working from home as Covid infections rise
Germany is preparing a return to working from home under draft legislation seen by AFP, as the country tries to tackle an unprecedented wave of coronavirus cases.
The reintroduction of the rule, which was lifted at the beginning of July, comes as Germany faces a growing fourth wave of the virus.
Infections and deaths have been climbing steeply since mid-October, in an outbreak blamed on Germany's vaccination rate of just over 67 percent - still
leaving a large share of people more vulnerable to infection and severe disease.
At over 300 cases per 100,000 people, the recorded incidence of the coronavirus reached a new high in Europe's most populous country on Monday, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) health agency.
"The coming wave will overshadow all the previous waves," Saxony state premier Michael Kretschmer, whose region is currently amongst the worst hit, told German weekly Bild am Sonntag.
READ ALSO: Could Germany really see a lockdown this winter?
Under the draft plan, employers in Germany would be forced to offer the option to work from home in the absence of a "compelling business reason" to come to the office.
Anyone going into work would also be asked to show they were protected against the virus or had tested negative.
The German government is also working up plans to limit access to certain events to those who have both been vaccinated or recovered from a coronavirus infection, and can present a negative test, according to reports in the German media.
The new package of measures is being drafted in close consultation with the parties seeking to form the next German government, the Social Democrats, the Greens and the liberal FDP.
Their joint legislation will be presented to the Bundestag, the lower house of the German parliament, for approval on Thursday, before being signed off by the upper house on Friday.
The German government and regional leaders also come together virtually on Thursday to coordinate their response.
Comments
See Also
The reintroduction of the rule, which was lifted at the beginning of July, comes as Germany faces a growing fourth wave of the virus.
Infections and deaths have been climbing steeply since mid-October, in an outbreak blamed on Germany's vaccination rate of just over 67 percent - still
leaving a large share of people more vulnerable to infection and severe disease.
At over 300 cases per 100,000 people, the recorded incidence of the coronavirus reached a new high in Europe's most populous country on Monday, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) health agency.
"The coming wave will overshadow all the previous waves," Saxony state premier Michael Kretschmer, whose region is currently amongst the worst hit, told German weekly Bild am Sonntag.
READ ALSO: Could Germany really see a lockdown this winter?
Under the draft plan, employers in Germany would be forced to offer the option to work from home in the absence of a "compelling business reason" to come to the office.
Anyone going into work would also be asked to show they were protected against the virus or had tested negative.
The German government is also working up plans to limit access to certain events to those who have both been vaccinated or recovered from a coronavirus infection, and can present a negative test, according to reports in the German media.
The new package of measures is being drafted in close consultation with the parties seeking to form the next German government, the Social Democrats, the Greens and the liberal FDP.
Their joint legislation will be presented to the Bundestag, the lower house of the German parliament, for approval on Thursday, before being signed off by the upper house on Friday.
The German government and regional leaders also come together virtually on Thursday to coordinate their response.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.