Coronavirus restrictions should be eased for people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, Germany’s Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Sunday.
In an interview given to German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, Maas supported that “vaccinated people should be able to exercise their basic rights again,” noting that they should be allowed to go to cinemas and restaurants.
“It has not yet been conclusively clarified to what extent people who have been vaccinated can infect others. But what is clear: a vaccinated person will no longer take a ventilator away from someone. This means that at least one central reason for restricting fundamental rights is no longer applicable, ” the German FM said.
His comments opposed to the views endorsed by the party of Chancellor Angela Merkel, the Christian-Democrats (CDU) as well as by several other members of the government, with Federal interior Minister Horst Seehofer warning that any relaxation of Coronavirus restrictions for vaccinated people could divide society.
However, Maas, a member of the Social Democrats (SPD) argued that it not is about “privileges” but about “the exercise of basic rights” of vaccinated people.”