This decision comes against the backdrop of rising infection numbers. A 25% increase over the last seven days has resulted in 2,373 new cases and 11 deaths from 22 to 28 November.
In response to the fourth wave and accompanied by trade unions OBGL, LCGB, CGFP and the UEL, labour minister Dan Kersch and civil service minister Marc Hansen revealed that from 15 January, any person who is not vaccinated or recovered, will have to be tested daily in order to be present at their workplace.
Any employee who fails to successfully pass the CovidCheck, will not be able to work, and will have to either take a day off work or they won’t be paid. The risk of being let go for not fulfilling the conditions, however, should be nonexistent, according to Kersch and Hansen.
These new measures would be the only way to avoid another lockdown or mandatory inoculation--which has already been introduced in Austria, according to Kersch, who will soon retire from his position.