German media reported on the 20th local time that Germany may cancel the "national epidemic state", which has triggered concerns in some federal states. Several federal states, such as Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia and Thuringia, have called on the federal government to continue to implement uniform national epidemic prevention rules.
Rhineland-Palatinate Health Minister Horch said it was "unrealistic" to cancel all measures in November and that the federal government should have an "orderly and unified transitional arrangement". Berlin Mayor Müller also explicitly opposed ending the "national epidemic state" at the end of November, noting that it will take longer to end the "national epidemic state" before the epidemic truly eases.
German Federal Health Minister Spann publicly stated on the 18th that he supported ending the "national epidemic state" at the end of November. The "National Epidemic Status" is the basis for the development and implementation of anti-epidemic regulations and measures by the German federal and state governments, which have been in force since March 2020 and are currently valid until 24 November 2021.
Span's statement has triggered different opinions from all walks of life. The German Association of Statutory Health Insurance Doctors and the German Medical Association, among others, welcomed the proposal, while the German Patient Protection Foundation and some health experts opposed it. Lauterbach, a health expert at the SPD, said ending the "national outbreak state" would send the wrong signal and underestimate the risk of infection in winter, and that if the federal government wants to end the emergency, it must be more successful in vaccinate, reduce morbidity and protect children. (Reporter Yu Peng)
Source: CCTV News Client