Berlin, June 19 (BNA) The German Health Minister urged residents and visitors to wear face masks indoors to protect themselves and others from the Corona virus, but he admitted that the current data does not justify making mask use a legal requirement.
The shelf life of an indoor mask has largely lapsed across Germany this spring, with the requirement remaining for places such as hospitals and care homes.
The Liberal Democratic Party, which is part of the country’s ruling coalition, has been particularly vocal in pressing for an end to COVID-19 measures, according to the Associated Press.
German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, an epidemiologist by training, said Germany was seeing an expected increase in cases that amounted to a “summer wave”. The country recently reported between 50 and 130 coronavirus-related deaths per day, according to official figures.
“I ask those who want to protect themselves or others to wear masks indoors,” Lauterbach, a member of the Social Democratic Party, told reporters in Berlin, noting that cases could continue to rise over the coming months. “It should be normal to voluntarily wear masks indoors.”
The health minister said that the dominant variant circulating in Germany is relatively mild, and many residents are vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19, which means they are less likely to become seriously ill.
He said, “Don’t panic.”
Lauterbach said the government is working to get a broad supply of vaccines in the fall that would respond to all major variables.
He added that citizens who are at risk, or who wish to avoid putting others at risk, should consider getting a second booster dose.