New Infection Protection Act provides the framework, but not the answer

If the draft of the Infection Protection Act is confirmed in the Bundestag on Friday, there will be new challenges in terms of infection protection at primary and special schools. The Minister of Education has announced that masks will no longer be compulsory at these two types of school due to the new legal basis. The Lord Mayor of the City of Jena, Dr. Thomas Nitzsche, and the education politician and Chairman of the Education Committee in the Thuringian State Parliament, Torsten Wolf, make their recommendations based on their respective responsibilities.

Torsten Wolf:

"I have been receiving concerned inquiries from primary and special schools for a few days now, who cannot understand why elementary school in particular are not making masks compulsory at a time when infections are rising sharply. I share these concerns, as the figures from the RKI and the Ministry of Social Affairs show the highest incidence in this age group, masks still offer the best protection and long Covid consequences can be observed even in mild cases. I would like to expressly advocate that parents who want to protect their children from coronavirus infection in the same way that teachers want to do so should encourage the voluntary wearing of masks in everyday school life and support teachers and school management in this regard."

Dr. Thomas Nitzsche:

"The changes to the Infection Protection Act do not fit in with the infection rate we are currently seeing. However, as this is likely to be the decision, it is important for me to point out that the lifting of the mask requirement does not mean that masks will suddenly be banned. So if you want to continue wearing a mask to protect yourself and, above all, to protect others in situations where space is tight, you can and should do so. I believe that acting responsibly in this way is right, important and highly desirable in the pandemic phase that we are now entering. I would like to expressly encourage all parents to do so. The mask is and remains a comparatively mild, but at the same time immediately highly effective tool in the fight against the virus."