On Tuesday, August 10, German Chancellor Angela Merkel will once again meet with the leaders of the 16 federal states to discuss next steps in the fight against coronavirus. A few topics that have been the source of fierce debate over the past few weeks will be up for discussion. Here’s an overview of what’s on the agenda. 

Should free COVID tests be discontinued?

The question of whether Germany should continue to cover the costs of coronavirus tests once everybody has received the offer of a free vaccine has been hotly debated in recent weeks, especially after the Federal Ministry of Health proposed scrapping the offer from mid-October. Those who are not recommended to get a vaccine, for instance women who are pregnant or children under the age of 12, will still qualify for free tests, according to the proposal. 

Among others, the idea is said to be supported by the state premiers of both Lower Saxony and Baden-Württemberg, as well as Finance Minister Olaf Scholz. Others, however, have argued that this is not the right time for tests to be scrapped, with the pandemic currently at such a critical juncture. “Germany must not go into the autumn vulnerable and defenceless,” said CSU General Secretary Markus Blume. 

How can the vaccination campaign be boosted?

So far, around 55 percent of the German population is fully vaccinated against coronavirus - far short of the country’s 80 percent target, which should help ensure herd immunity. Nonetheless, the vaccination rate has decreased significantly in recent weeks, with only around half a million people receiving their first jabs every seven days. At the campaign’s peak back in May, the figure was over a million per day. 

Angela Merkel and the state leaders will therefore most likely discuss possible methods to help boost the vaccination rate - whether by the carrot (with incentives) or the stick (with threatened restrictions for unvaccinated people). 

Should there be new restrictions if infections keep rising - and if so, for who?

Another hotly-debated topic is the suggestion that Germany could, in future, impose restrictions on unvaccinated people only, should case numbers continue to rise. Ministers have already indicated that the possibility of tough lockdown measures, like those imposed during the spring and winter of 2020, are off the table, but they have not yet dismissed the idea of closing off certain areas of public life to unvaccinated individuals. 

A number of ministers are reportedly in favour of the idea of making large events and certain indoor areas accessible only to those who are vaccinated or have recovered from COVID. Others are arguing that unvaccinated people should still be granted access if they test negative for the virus - although it’s not clear what kind of tests would be accepted. “Rapid antigen tests are not reliable enough,” the mayor of Hamburg, Peter Tschentscher, told the FAZ. 

Will Germany introduce a kind of COVID pass?

Health Minister Jens Spahn has also called for the introduction of a standardised “health pass”, nationwide, as other countries like France and Italy have done. The pass, which shows proof of a COVID vaccination, recovery or negative test result, would be used to visit events or attractions, to attend restaurants, go shopping, or visit the gym. 

A version of this system is already in use in some states, but now Spahn wants the system to be implemented across Germany. 

What should the criteria for future restrictions be?

It also seems likely that Germany will alter the data it looks at to determine whether new restrictions are necessary. Up until now, the so-called seven day incidence rate (the number of new infections per 100.000 people within seven days) has held sway, but ministers believe other data should also be taken into account, such as the vaccination rate and the number of people in hospital.