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HEALTH

Rising coronavirus cases in Germany are ‘worrying but manageable’, says Merkel

Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) described the rising numbers of coronavirus infections in Germany as worrying, but still manageable, during a meeting Monday.

Published: 17 August 2020 14:17 CEST
Rising coronavirus cases in Germany are 'worrying but manageable', says Merkel
Merkel speaking at a press conference in June. Photo: DPA

Merkel said that there would currently be no further relaxation of coronavirus rules across Germany, according to participants of the first virtual presidium meeting of Merkel’s centre right Christian Democrats (CDU) after the summer break.

This also applies to football games, which will not be played with spectators in September as had initially been anticipated. 

READ ALSO: German football fans hopes dampened as coronavirus cases rise

CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer emphasized at the same meeting that she wanted to get a grip on the rising coronavirus infection numbers without far-reaching measures if possible.

“Every effort must be made to prevent a second lockdown,” said Kramp-Karrenbauer, according to party sources. 

Priority should be given to the safest possible operation of schools and daycare centers, she said. The economy must also be supported in order to avoid higher unemployment, for example through extending the Kurzarbeit (reduced working hours) programme.

Merkel has a “fundamentally positive” attitude toward such plans, said government spokesman Steffen Seibert.

As of Monday August 17th, there have been a total of 225,201 coronavirus cases in Germany, 201,872 who reported themselves to have recovered, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been 9,236 deaths resulting from the virus. 

Chancellor Merkel and Germany’s 16 state ministers are planning a meeting for the coming week in order to discuss the current coronavirus situation, and how to come up with more consistent rules across the country for fighting the virus. 

READ ALSO: In numbers: What's the latest on the coronavirus situation in Germany?

No need for alarm

Hesse state premier Volker Bouffier (CDU) also warned against getting too alarmed about the current coronavirus figures, according to party sources. 

Germany no longer has a situation like it did at the beginning of the epidemic in March, he said, and called on the country to deal with the situation “calmly”.

Bouffier and also North Rhine-Westphalian premier Armin Laschet had made it clear during the discussions that they expected it would be necessary to live with the current situation for a long time.

READ ALSO: Germany sees highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases since May

In the meantime, Lower Saxony's state government announced it’s considering postponing its planned relaxation of rules. Night clubs, for example, will remain closed.

Originally, the next stage of the relaxation was to take effect on September 1st, Minister President Stephan Weil told the radio station Antenne Niedersachsen on Monday.

“But we are currently in an unstable situation”, the SPD politician continued. 

The next stage will therefore be postponed “at least” until September 14th – or longer, depending on the situation.


 

Member comments

  1. Why is the government still allowing people to travel internationally and partake in events of up to 150 people (and more due to protesters!) if they are so concerned?
    We can all recognise that the number of cases have increased because of this behaviour! Those of us who haven’t are still being put at a disadvantage and can’t work! Not fair!

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HEALTH

Could there be a new wave of Covid-19 in Germany this autumn?

It’s back again: amid sinking temperatures, the incidence of Covid-19 has been slowly rising in Germany. But is this enough to merit worrying about the virus?

Published: 20 September 2023 12:05 CEST
Updated: 20 September 2023 22:22 CEST
Could there be a new wave of Covid-19 in Germany this autumn?

More people donning face masks in supermarkets, friends cancelling plans last minute due to getting sick with Covid-19. We might have seen some of those familiar reminders recently that the coronavirus is still around, but could there really be a resurgence of the virus like we experienced during the pandemic years?

According to virologists, the answer seems to be ‘maybe’: since July, the number of people newly infected with Covid-19 has been slowly rising from a very low level.

According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), nine people per 100,000 inhabitants became newly infected in Germany last week. A year ago, there were only around 270 reported cases.

Various Corona variants are currently on the loose in the country. According to the RKI,  the EG.5 (also called Eris) and XBB.1.16 lines were each detected in the week ending September 3rd with a share of just under 23 percent. 

The highly mutated variant BA.2.86 (Pirola), which is currently under observation by the World Health Organisation (WHO), also arrived in the country this week, according to RKI. 

High number of unreported case

The RKI epidemiologists also warned about a high number of unreported cases since hardly any testing is done. They pointed out that almost half of all registered sewage treatment plants report an increasing viral load in wastewater tests.

The number of hospital admissions has also increased slightly, but are still a far cry from the occupation rate amid the pandemic. Last week it was two per 100,000 inhabitants. In the intensive care units, only 1.2 percent of all beds are occupied by Covid-19 patients.

Still, a good three-quarters (76.4 percent) of people in Germany have been vaccinated at least twice and thus have basic immunity, reported RKI. 

Since Monday, doctors’ offices have been vaccinating with the adapted vaccine from Biontech/Pfizer, available to anyone over 12 years old, with a vaccine for small children set to be released the following week and one for those between 5 and 11 to come out October 2nd.

But Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has so far only recommended that people over 60 and those with pre-existing conditions get vaccinated.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Who should get a Covid jab this autumn in Germany?

“The pandemic is over, the virus remains,” he said. “We cannot predict the course of coming waves of corona, but it is clear that older people and people with pre-existing conditions remain at higher risk of becoming severely ill from Covid-19”

The RKI also recommended that people with a cold voluntarily wear a mask. Anyone exhibiting cough, cold, sore throat or other symptoms of a respiratory illness should voluntarily stay at home for three to five days and take regular corona self-tests. 

However, further measures such as contact restrictions are not necessary, he said.

One of many diseases

As of this autumn, Covid-19 could be one of many respiratory diseases. As with influenza, there are no longer absolute infection figures for coronavirus.

Saarbrücken pharmacist Thorsten Lehr told German broadcaster ZDF that self-protection through vaccinations, wearing a mask and getting tested when symptoms appear are prerequisites for surviving the Covid autumn well. 

Only a new, more aggressive mutation could completely turn the game around, he added.

On April 7th of this year, Germany removed the last of its over two-year long coronavirus restrictions, including mask-wearing in some public places.

READ ALSO: German doctors recommend Covid-19 self-tests amid new variant

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