The infection rate is surging. We need to adopt plan B, on masks and vaccine certification – Europe has shown it works
In Frankfurt, Germany, you can’t simply grab a burger inside a restaurant, go to an indoor pool or have a drink in an indoor bar. Before doing so, you have to present either certification of full vaccination, or a negative test result from the last 24 hours. To make this work, testing centres are literally at every corner (often in converted barber shops), with results available within 10-15 minutes (you can either wait for the result, or have it emailed to you). Testing is free for children under 12 (who cannot be vaccinated yet) and for those who cannot get vaccinated for medical reasons.
And these aren’t the only precautions. When in shops and on public transport, masks are required – and not cloth masks. Only surgical or FFP2 medical grade masks are permitted. And Oktoberfest, the largest beer festival in the world, was cancelled this year owing to limits on mass gatherings and international travel.
Prof Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh
