Corona rules currently applied in Bavaria

Dec 31, 2023

There are still Corona restrictions in Bavaria, but there aren't many anymore - and the biggest one has been history since this Saturday: the mandatory wearing of masks on local buses and trains. The Bavarian state government has decided that mouth-to-nose coverings no longer have to be worn here.

However, the mask requirement continues to apply in various health and care facilities. In addition, there is a mandatory test in clinics and nursing homes. That's basically it for Corona regulations. An overview of the currently valid rules in Bavaria:

Where does a mask requirement apply?

Who is exempt from the mask requirement?

Where is a Corona test required?

In hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, as well as retirement homes, nursing homes or facilities for the disabled, there is a testing requirement: Here, visitors and employees need a current, negative Corona test; for employees, two tests per week are sufficient if they have been vaccinated or have recovered.

Exemptions: Employees of these facilities are exempt if they have no contact with particularly vulnerable people - for example, if they work in the administration of a hospital. In Bavaria, there is also no compulsory testing at daycare centers for special needs children. The testing obligation also does not apply to children up to their sixth birthday or to children who have not yet started school.

Test certificates must be submitted in writing (printed out or on a cell phone). A PCR test may not be older than 48 hours, a rapid test not older than 24 hours. A self-test is only sufficient if it was done under supervision, which is confirmed in writing (maximum 24 hours old). Only vaccinated or recovered employees may perform a self-test even without supervision.

A dying person may always be visited, i.e. even without presenting a negative corona test.

What else is recommended?

The state government recommends protecting oneself by, for example, keeping a distance from other people or generally wearing a mask indoors, on buses and trains. It advises recreational facilities or stores to adopt hygiene concepts (for example, disinfection). However, all this is no longer mandatory.

How are violations punished?

A fine of 250 euros is provided for violations of the mask or testing obligation. For facilities that do not take care of the implementation of the mask obligation, up to 5000 euros can be due.

What applies in schools and daycare centers?

There are no special rules for schools, nor for kindergartens, daycare centers or after-school programs. Regulations such as the mask or testing requirement there have been abolished.

What applies in the workplace?

The 3-G rule in the workplace no longer applies since March 2022 - nor does the obligation to allow employees to work from home or to offer free corona tests. Although companies must define hygiene concepts in the workplace, there are no specific requirements for this.

What new rules could be coming?

A new Infection Protection Act has been in force since the beginning of October. With it, the federal government enables the states to adopt more far-reaching corona measures if they deem this necessary in view of the respective corona situation. The state government has not yet done so - and there are no signs that this will change anytime soon. If it did, then it would be possible in Bavaria, for example, to impose a mask requirement in secondary schools, cultural and leisure facilities, to introduce a testing requirement in daycare centers and schools, or even to set visitor restrictions or distance bans for events.

What applies upon entry?

In Bavaria, the same regulations apply upon entry as nationwide - i.e., no restrictions at present. It is true that anyone entering from a so-called virus variant area must register and, under certain circumstances, go into quarantine. However, there are currently no such restrictions, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).

The legal basis

The special Corona rules for Bavaria are in the Seventeenth Bavarian Infection Protection Measures Ordinance (17th BayIfSMV). It is still valid until January 20. Since December 10, the mask obligation in public transport is no longer in it.The legal basis for this is the Infection Protection Act of the Federal Government, which also regulates the obligation to wear masks in long-distance travel or in health care facilities.

All regulations for Corona patients, which replace the previous obligation to quarantine or isolation, are in a separate general decree of the Bavarian Ministry of Health.Corona regulations in the workplace are found in the SARS-CoV-2 Occupational Health and Safety Ordinance (Corona-ArbSchV) of the federal government.

Image by Fernando Zhiminaicela