Covid regulations in Germany: The economy as auxiliary police

Facing higher costs and enduring all the confrontations with customers, companies feel that they are being abused by politics.

Brandenburg's red-black-green state government has tightened the pandemic rules again since November 24. As in Berlin, the so-called 3G rule now applies to workplaces, which employers should check and document on a daily basis. With the exception of supermarkets and other shops that provide basic services, shops are no longer allowed to be operated by people who have neither been vaccinated nor recovered.

The associated controls of customers apparently pose considerable problems for shop owners and employees. The general manager of the Berlin-Brandenburg trade association, Nils Busch-Petersen, pointed out "insane" additional costs, as the shops did not manage to advise, sell and at the same time monitor compliance with the 2G rule.

Regulations hardly feasible
Busch-Petersen criticizes the fact that the retailers “as the state's auxiliary police” were both left with the costs and had to “endure all the confrontations with customers”. The managing director told rbb radio that, according to the Robert Koch Institute, retailers accounted for less than one percent of the infection rate. After the politicians "hit everything against the wall in their helplessness", instead of "fighting fire nests in a targeted manner, the whole forest will be flooded, no matter who drowns".

The Potsdam Chamber of Crafts has also pointed out the effects of the 3G rule in everyday business. The Chamber's managing director, Tilo Jänsch, reminds us that building cleaners, for example, often come to customers very early in the morning or late in the evening. Construction workers usually lead directly from home to the respective construction site. From the perspective of the Chamber of Crafts, it is therefore hardly possible to implement the 3G rule in some industries.

In the course of the tightened pandemic rules, the state government has also decided to close the Christmas markets that are already open or not to allow them to open in the first place. This regulation should initially apply until December 15th. With this decision, too, those affected, showmen and traders, were surprised and frustrated: “It was completely unprepared, we didn't expect that. There were strict regulations in advance that we all met,” said Christoph Meyer from the Brandenburg Showmen Association Sanssouci. Meyer also warned: "If no help should come, we will no longer need to talk about Christmas markets next year, because they will no longer exist."

Carsten Christ, spokesman for the state working group of the chambers of industry and commerce, sharply criticized the state government's decision: "The short-term and therefore disproportionate cancellation of the Christmas markets shows the lack of foresight in politics." the experts' forecasts had also been known since the beginning of November.

Little understanding from the Greens
The 3G obligation in local public transport causes very special problems. With the new Federal Infection Protection Act, since November 24th, the obligation in Brandenburg that passengers of buses and trains must be vaccinated, recovered or tested on a daily basis. At the request of the AfD parliamentary group in the Potsdam state parliament, the infrastructure committee met for a special meeting on November 25th. In particular, it was about the question of how the 3G regulation for buses and trains should be implemented in the rural area of ​​Brandenburg.

The deputy AfD parliamentary group leader Birgit Bessin pointed to the lack of test options with a view to the 3G rule at workplaces and on public buses and trains. For employees, trainees or retirees without their own vehicle, the lack of test facilities in rural regions can in fact constitute a compulsion to vaccinate, as otherwise they can no longer leave their place of residence.

Also in a special session, this time of the health committee of the state parliament, Brandenburg's health minister Ursula Nonnemacher (Greens) declared on November 25th that since the end of July those willing to be vaccinated have had enough opportunity to get vaccinated. The politician further said that after months of not taking advantage of these vaccination offers, she was "simply going too far to somehow drive the tests to the village for every person who refused to vaccinate".

Source: Preußische Allgemeine Zeitung