Coping with the Covid-19 Pandemic

Traditionally Germany has a decentralized public health system in which the local health authorities (Gesundheitsämter) play a pivotal role in exercising a wide range of health inspection and infection disease prevention functions. In reacting to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020 extremely fast a “centralized” crisis management regime co-directed by the federal and the Länder governments was put in place. Subsequently the rapidly expanding panoply of local level measures and activities (vaccination, lockdowns, testing, tracing, monitoring etc.) was carried out under “centralized” guidance. As soon as the pandemic was regarded overcome in early 2023 the decentral local health authorities have resumed their traditional responsibility in infection control and prevention.