German health minister slams regional moves to relax face mask rules

High-grade FFP2 masks to ward off coronavirus infection are no longer required on public transport in the southern German state of Bavaria, a move that prompted criticism from the country's health minister on Saturday.

The new policy, which went into effect on Saturday, allows passengers to use buses and commuter trains if they are only wearing medical masks. Medical masks do not provide the same level of protection against airborne particles as FFP2 masks, which are equivalent to the N95 or KN95 masks used in some other countries.

"We're going to rely more strongly on citizens' individual responsibility," said Bavarian Health Minister Klaus Holetschek as the relaxation went into effect. "Given the hot summer months, such as we're experiencing now, and given the current pandemic conditions, we think this is responsible."

Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach called the Bavarian move a failure, considering the facts of the matter.

"Loosening up as we head into a wave looks illogical and discredits the simultaneous calls for the federal government to take more action," he tweeted on Saturday.

Most of the rest of the country still requires passengers to wear FFP2 masks on public transport. However, other areas have relaxed. The state of Saxony also only requires people wear a medical mask to use public transport.

Germany is seeing rises in overall case counts, which is prompting some health officials to worry that a larger virus wave is bearing down on the country and that a tightening of restrictions might be needed before all is said and done.

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) disease control body reported that the nationwide seven-day incidence rate of infection was 696.5, a slight increase on the day before (682.7) and substantially higher than last week (632.9).

Although the official infection rate is no longer seen as a very reliable indicator of infection numbers - mainly because many people with Covid-19 no longer take official PCR tests - some are asking whether Germany needs to take measures to fight an autumn wave.

"It will be a difficult autumn, we have to be prepared," Lauterbach told broadcaster ARD on Friday evening.

"We will have great difficulties with the BA.5 variant that is now spreading here," he said, adding that high case numbers could overload critical infrastructure.

Alongside the debate over new measures, the head of the RKI, Lothar Wieler, has come under pressure over what critics have called the "data chaos" during the pandemic.

A leading member of the Free Democrats (FDP) - one of the parties in the governing coalition - has said Wieler should step down due to a lack of data on how effective certain anti-virus measures have proven to be over the past two years.

Lauterbach defended Wieler, saying he had "complete confidence" in him.