German minister says COVID brakes should be relaxed for those vaccinated

BERLIN, Jan. 17 (Reuters) – People who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 should be allowed to go to restaurants and cinemas earlier than others, a German minister said, contradicting other cabinet members who have so far opposed special freedoms for those vaccinated.

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the state has massively restricted people’s basic rights in order to contain infections and avoid overcrowding hospitals.

“It has not yet been clearly clarified to what extent vaccinated people can infect other people,” Maas told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

“What is clear, however, is that a vaccinated person no longer takes a respirator from anyone. This removes at least one central reason for restricting fundamental rights. “

About 1 million people in Germany had been vaccinated by Friday, according to the Robert Koch Institute for Infectious Diseases. Some 83.2 million people were living in the country at the end of 2020, according to data from the Bureau of Statistics.

Maas’ comments contrast with those of other German ministers, who opposed these special rights, fearing it could lead to inequalities in society at a time when not everyone has the opportunity to get the vaccine. .

Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said distinguishing between vaccinated and unvaccinated people would amount to compulsory vaccination, which he opposed.

Maas said the government is also restricting the rights of people who run restaurants, cinemas, theaters and museums.

“They have the right to reopen their business at some point, if there is a possibility of doing so,” he said, adding that if there were only people vaccinated in such places. , they could no longer put themselves in danger.

Although Maas acknowledged that this could lead to inequalities during a “transition period,” he said such a decision would be constitutionally justified, as long as there was an objective reason and it did not affect not basic utilities.

Germany has extended the lockdown measures until at least the end of January, and Chancellor Angela Merkel proposed a meeting with regional leaders on Tuesday to discuss tighter restrictions. (Reporting by Caroline Copley; Editing by Pravin Char)