Lawmakers must draw up rules to protect people with disabilities from being discriminated against if hospitals are forced to carry out triage in the coronavirus pandemic, Germany's constitutional court ruled.

With the health emergency which began in early 2020 headed for its third year and the Omicron variant raging, fears have grown that hospitals will be pressed to decide who they can save for lack of resources such as ventilators, AFP reports.

Nine people with disabilities or who are chronically ill brought the case to Germany's Federal Constitutional Court, seeking firm rules should health institutions be forced into triage. Currently, medical staff have only guidelines to work with.