BERLIN, Jan 17 (Reuters) – People who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 should be allowed to go to restaurants and cinemas earlier than others, a German minister said, contradicting other cabinet members who have so far they opposed special freedoms for those inoculated.
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the state had massively restricted people’s basic rights to contain infections and to avoid overwhelming hospitals.
“It has not yet been conclusively clarified to what extent vaccinated people can infect others,” Maas told Bild am Sonntag.
“What is clear, however, is that a vaccinated person no longer takes a fan from anyone. This eliminates at least one central reason for restricting fundamental rights. ”
About 1 million people in Germany had been vaccinated since Friday, according to the Robert Koch Institute for Infectious Diseases. About 83.2 million people lived in the country at the end of 2020, according to data from the statistics office.
Maas’s comments contrast with other German ministers, who opposed such special rights, fearing they could lead to inequality in society at a time when not everyone has the opportunity to be inoculated.
Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said the distinction between vaccinated and unvaccinated people would be tantamount to compulsory vaccination, which he opposed.
Maas said the government also restricts the rights of people who run restaurants, cinemas, theaters and museums.
“They have the right to reopen their business at some point, if there is a possibility to do so,” he said, adding that if there were only people vaccinated in such places, they could no longer endanger each other.
Although the Maas acknowledged that this could lead to inequalities for a “transitional period”, he said such a move would be justified under the constitution, as long as there is an objective reason and does not affect basic public services.
Germany extended the blockade until at least the end of January, and Chancellor Angela Merkel convened a meeting with regional leaders on Tuesday to discuss tougher restrictions. (Reporting by Caroline Copley; Editing by Pravin Char)