Düsseldorf (dpa/lnw) – NRW Minister of Health Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU) recommends that the municipal health authorities take a lax approach to the controls a few weeks before the imminent end of the facility-related corona vaccination requirement. “You don’t have to be a great prophet, how it works with the so-called traffic lights. Well, I don’t see how they should agree on compulsory vaccination,” said the NRW Minister of Health at an event organized by the “Rheinische Post” on Wednesday evening the newspaper reported. So the nationwide regulation will expire at the end of the year. “And a smart health department, I would say now, shouldn’t look so much in November,” added Laumann, according to the newspaper report.
The Bundestag and Bundesrat had decided on facility-related vaccination requirements in December last year. So far, this regulation is only valid by law until the end of 2022. Since March 16, vaccination has been compulsory for employees in numerous medical and nursing facilities. These include hospitals, medical practices and nursing homes. Employees had to prove that they were vaccinated or recovered. The cities must contact the unvaccinated and organize a hearing. If there is no response, a fine of up to 2500 euros can be imposed. When deciding on a ban on entry or activity, both personal aspects such as the type of activity and the specific situation in the facility should be taken into account.
The implementation of the partial vaccination requirement is handled differently in the federal states. According to a survey by the NRW Ministry of Health in the municipalities at the end of August, 2,206 fine procedures and 533 entry bans had been issued nationwide by then. However, data was not available from all municipalities. According to a survey by the State Statistical Office, almost 300,000 people work in the health care system in North Rhine-Westphalia in hospitals and almost 170,000 in old people’s homes.
