In the midst of the 5th wave of Covid-19, Germany is preparing to return to telework massively – The HuffPost

via Associated Press

CORONAVIRUS – Germany is preparing for a massive return to telework, according to a bill consulted this Sunday, November 14 by AFP, in an attempt to stop a new wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

The reintroduction of the homework rule, which was lifted in early July, comes as Germany faces a worrying resurgence of the epidemic. The number of infections and deaths has risen sharply since mid-October, in a country where the vaccination rate barely exceeds 67%.

With 289 cases per 100,000 people, the infection rate reached a new record on Sunday in the most populous country in Europe, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) health agency.

“The coming wave will eclipse all previous waves,” German weekly told Bild am Sonntag the Prime Minister of the Land of Saxony, Michael Kretschmer, whose region is currently among the most affected.

New restrictions under study

According to the plan to return to telework, German employers will be forced to offer the possibility of working from home in the absence of a “compelling professional reason” to come to the office.

Anyone going to work will also be asked to prove that they are vaccinated or have a negative test.

The government is also considering limiting access to certain events to those vaccinated or those who have recovered from the disease and may test negative, according to German media.

The bill is expected to be presented to the Bundestag, the lower house of parliament, for approval on Thursday, before being signed by the upper house on Friday.

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