The state government has decided to extend the current SARS-CoV-2 transitional ordinance until 30 November 2021. It provided details in a press release:
"The Brandenburg Cabinet today adopted the Second Ordinance amending the Third SARS-CoV-2 Transition Ordinance. This extends the Corona Ordinance up to and including 30 November 2021 with a few changes. The most important change: non-immunised employees in health and social care facilities, for example nursing staff in care homes, will have to be tested more frequently than before. The amending ordinance is due to come into force this week, the day after it is announced.
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The main changes to the Third SARS-CoV-2 Ordinance at a glance:
- More tests in health and social care facilities: Non-immunised employees in hospitals, preventive care and rehabilitation facilities as well as nursing homes, equivalent forms of housing and special forms of housing must undergo more frequent testing for infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
In districts and independent cities with a seven-day incidence below 100 , non-vaccinated and non-recovered employees must be tested for infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus at least three (previously: two) days per week in which they are on duty. On the basis of an individual test concept to be approved by the responsible health authority, hospitals can stipulate that their employees only have to undergo corona testing at least twice (previously: once) a week.
In districts and independent cities in which the seven-day incidence is continuously above the threshold value of 100 for three days, the following now applies with regard to the testing obligation: In preventive care and rehabilitation facilities as well as nursing homes and equivalent forms of housing and special forms of housing, non-vaccinated and non-recovered employees must undergo testing for infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus on every day they are scheduled to work.
Irrespective of the seven-day incidence, the daily testing requirement now also applies to all non-immunised employees in facilities, with the exception of hospitals where there is currently an active SARS-CoV-2 infection.
- 3G if the threshold value of 35 is exceeded: According to the Third SARS-CoV-2 Transition Ordinance, testing is mandatory in many areas of life in districts and independent cities in which the seven-day incidence is above the threshold value of 35 for five consecutive days. What is new in the ordinance is that the testing obligation does not apply if the incidence does not fall below the threshold value of 35 solely due to a local and clearly definable incidence of infection determined by the responsible local authority. This means that if, for example, the seven-day incidence of a district only rises above the value of 35 because there is a coronavirus outbreak in a care home or community facility that can be clearly localised, the testing obligation does not yet apply.
The assessment criteria for the protective measures ordered in the Third SARS-CoV-2 Transit Ordinance are the following indicators in particular:
- Number of COVID-19 patients treated as inpatients within the last seven days per 100,000 inhabitants(seven-day hospitalisation incidence),
- Number of new infections within the last seven days per 100,000 inhabitants(seven-day incidence),
- Number of available intensive care treatment capacities and their utilisation, number of people vaccinated against the SARS-CoV-2 virus(vaccination rate).
The seven-day hospitalisation incidence is the leading indicator. This means that the utilisation of the healthcare system is particularly important in the overall assessment of the pandemic situation.
Current corona situation:
Seven-day hospitalisation incidence: The nationwide seven-day hospitalisation incidence is 2.25 (number of patients hospitalised with a COVID-19 disease within the last seven days per 100,000 inhabitants). This value is therefore in the green range (less than 7).
Seven-day incidence: The nationwide seven-day incidence is currently 126.3 and therefore in the yellow range (warning value: 100 to 200).
Intensive care treatment capacities: Currently, 194 people are being treated in hospital for COVID-19, 40 of whom are receiving intensive care treatment, 33 of whom require ventilation. Across the country, 3.9 per cent of the available intensive care beds in hospitals are occupied by COVID-19 patients. This value is in the green range (up to 10% of ICU beds occupied by COVID-19 patients).
Vaccination rate: In Brandenburg, at least 60.6% of the population is fully vaccinated.
Further measures in the event of rising values: In the event of significant changes in the indicators, the state government will consult intensively on appropriate measures to contain the incidence of infection, in particular to prevent the healthcare system from being overburdened. Priority will be given to measures based on the so-called 3G rule (access only for vaccinated, recovered or tested persons) and an extension of the 2G rule (access only for vaccinated and recovered persons) to other areas of life.