Germany mulls bringing back masks this autumn
ABC News
Germany’s health minister says the country may need to bring back a requirement for wearing face masks in public this autumn after lawmakers rejected a proposed coronavirus vaccine mandate
BERLIN -- Germany's health minister said Friday that the country may need to brink back a requirement for wearing face masks in public this autumn after lawmakers rejected a proposed coronavirus vaccine mandate.
Karl Lauterbach acknowledged that the Bundestag's vote Thursday against requiring COVID-19 vaccination of people 60 and over was a personal setback for him. The bill was a watered-down compromise after some government lawmakers refused to back a vaccine mandate for all adults.
The vote was “a clear and bitter defeat for all those who advocate compulsory vaccinations,” said Lauterbach, adding that any wriggle room to further relax the rules “has been completely exhausted.”
Germany recently ended the requirement to wear masks in many indoor settings, though they are still compulsory on public transport.
