Industry President Siegfried Russwurm has called on the federal and state governments to do much more to combat the rapidly rising number of new coronavirus infections. "Politicians are in danger of making the same mistake they made last fall, when they shied away from consistent and centrally effective measures," Russwurm told the German Press Agency. He made it clear that one option could also be a 3G rule in the workplace - this would mean access only for those who have recovered, been vaccinated and tested.

"The federal and state governments must quickly work together to create a clear federal legal basis so that companies can apply 3G-based protective measures for their employees in a comprehensible and planned manner in the coming weeks," said Russwurm. "In this way, work processes can be largely normalized again, employees can be freed from burdensome hygiene requirements and creative collaboration will once again be possible without restrictions."

Russwurm, President of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), expressed concern about the sharp rise in incidences. The decision to lift the epidemic situation on a national scale is the wrong signal: "In view of rapidly rising infection figures, it does not do justice to the seriousness of the situation to publicly suggest the imminent normal state of affairs."

The SPD, Greens and FDP, who are negotiating a new government, want to allow the legal basis for drastic coronavirus restrictions such as curfews to expire on November 25. By spring, the federal states should be able to impose less extensive restrictions.

Russwurm criticized that it was wrong that the federal government wanted to delegate responsibility for coordinated crisis management to the federal states right now. "Instead of breaking the wave with cross-state control and consistent containment concepts, there is once again the threat of an inefficient patchwork of inconsistent state measures."

Demand: Employers should be allowed to ask about vaccination status

The German Association of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises has called for employers to be allowed to ask their employees about their vaccination status. Federal Managing Director Markus Jerger told dpa that the 3G rule is already a reality in many companies. "However, there is still uncertainty as to whether employers are allowed to inquire about the vaccination status of their employees. A statutory right for employers to inquire would create the legal certainty that is urgently needed here." The federal government must provide clarity quickly. "It is crucial that business processes in companies suffering from the consequences of the pandemic and lockdown are not disrupted or even come to a standstill."

Politicians must do everything they can to ensure that vaccination numbers continue to rise and that booster vaccinations are carried out systematically, said Russwurm. "The federal states are called upon to reactivate their vaccination centers now if the vaccination capacities in doctors' surgeries are not sufficient for a quick booster." A small group of vaccination refusers should not be allowed to paralyze an entire society with a majority of vaccinated people in the coming months.

Schools and nurseries are threatened with closure in the coming weeks. "In addition to the negative impact on children, this will have a severe impact on employees who depend on functioning childcare, as we experienced last winter," says Russwurm. Significant mobility restrictions in international business travel are to be feared due to exploding numbers abroad.

The industry president went on to say that it was high time to consider mandatory vaccination for all professionals with regular contact with vulnerable groups in care homes, schools and daycare centers. "Politicians have a duty to protect children and all other particularly vulnerable people. Otherwise they risk hundreds of thousands of people suffering avoidable long-term damage from infections."