Bayern Munich has decided to reduce the salaries of unvaccinated footballers quarantined after coming into contact with persons infected with the novel Coronavirus (Covid-19), the German weekly, Bild am Sonntag, reported on Sunday.
Players affected include Joshua Kimmich, who was placed in quarantine on Friday for the second time, due to a new exposure to the virus, Belga News Agency reports.
The 26-year-old German international emerged from isolation on Tuesday after being placed on quarantine for being in contact with teammate Niklas Süle, who tested positive last week.
Bayern Munich management reportedly informed Kimmich and four of his teammates that their salaries would be cut if they had to be quarantined. According to the weekly, Serge Gnabry, Jamal Musiala, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, and Michael Cuisance have reportedly not taken any vaccine against the novel Coronavirus.
Bayern, which lost to Augsburg by 2-1 – without Kimmich – on Friday in the opening match of the 12th day of the German league, has refused to comment on the issue.
The case of the German international, who chose not to be vaccinated for “personal reasons,” has sparked a sharp debate in Germany as it faces a new wave of the Covid-19 epidemic.
Infections in Germany reached record levels this week, while fewer than 70% of the population has been vaccinated. Bavaria and Saxony, among the worst affected regional States, announced the cancellation of all Christmas markets along with other restrictions on Friday.
A crisis meeting on Thursday involving outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the regions' heads resulted in a decision to apply the “2G” rule throughout Germany once the hospitalization rate passes the threshold of three Covid patients per 100,000 inhabitants.
The “2G” rule limits access to public places such as restaurants, cinemas, concert halls and sports events to the vaccinated (“geimpft”) and people who have recovered (“genesene”) from the virus.
