Cabinet approves new infection protection law

30.08.2022 10:58

From October onwards, masks will be compulsory in long-distance and air travel, as will compulsory masks and testing in hospitals and care facilities. These are changes to the draft law to strengthen the protection of the population and especially vulnerable groups of people from COVID-19, which the cabinet has decided on. The countries should then be given the opportunity to react to the development of the pandemic in two stages, depending on the infection situation.

Federal Health Minister Kral Lauterbach explains: “With these instruments we can cope with the foreseeable corona wave in autumn. We are well prepared for difficult times and give countries every opportunity to respond in an appropriate manner. Mask requirements, vaccinations and upper limits indoors can be used depending on the situation. Avoiding high death rates, many lost work hours and serious long-term consequences remain the goals of our Corona policy.”

Protective measures from October 1, 2022 to April 7, 2023:

Protective measures applicable nationwide

• FFP2 mask requirement in air and long-distance public transport (medical masks for 6-14 year olds and staff).

Masks and proof of testing requirements for access to hospitals as well as full-time and part-time care facilities and comparable facilities, as well as for employees in outpatient care services and comparable service providers during their work.

Exceptions to the test proof requirement are intended for people who are treated, looked after or cared for in the respective facilities or by the respective service providers.

Exceptions to the mask requirement are provided if the treatment conflicts with wearing a mask and for people treated or cared for in the respective facilities in the rooms intended for their personal stay. Children under 6 years of age, people who cannot wear a mask for medical reasons and deaf and hard-of-hearing people are generally exempt from the mask requirement.

In addition, countries can react to the pandemic according to the infection situation:

1st stage

From October 1st, a federal state can order the following protective measures:

• The requirement to wear a mask in local public transport.
• The requirement to wear a mask in publicly accessible indoor spaces. A mandatory exception must be made for leisure, cultural or sporting events, in leisure and cultural facilities as well as in catering establishments and when practicing sports for people who have proof of testing.
• The states can also allow exceptions for those who have recovered (proof of recovery; the previous 90-day period applies) or who are fully vaccinated and whose last vaccination was no more than three months ago.
• The obligation to test in certain community facilities (

The requirement to wear a mask in schools and other training facilities for employees and for students from the fifth school year onwards if this is necessary to maintain regulated face-to-face teaching operations.

2nd stage

Should a corona wave continue to build up and a state parliament for the entire federal state or a specific local authority determines a concrete threat to the functionality of the health system or other critical infrastructure based on certain legally regulated indicators, the following measures can also be ordered there:

• The requirement to wear a mask at outdoor events if a minimum distance of 1.5 m cannot be maintained, as well as at events in publicly accessible indoor spaces.
• Mandatory hygiene concepts (provision of disinfectants, avoidance of unnecessary contacts, ventilation concepts) for companies, facilities, businesses, offers and events in the leisure, cultural and sports sectors for publicly accessible indoor spaces in which several people are present.
• The ordering of a minimum distance of 1.5 m in public spaces.
• The setting of maximum number of people for events in publicly accessible indoor spaces.

The amendments are made available to the parliamentary groups as a formative aid and are required as part of the “Law to Strengthen the Protection of the Population and in particular Vulnerable Groups of People”.