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dpa
Berlin
Germany is heading to its next big decision about opening up or shutting down even tighter as coronavirus case counts tick upwards, fears of a third wave rise, and exhaustion with shutdowns growing.
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the country’s infectious diseases agency, on Sunday registered 7,890 new cases during the previous 24 hours. Additionally, there were 157 new deaths, pushing the country’s total of coronavirus deaths to 70,045.
Germany had been enjoying sinking case counts until about a week ago, when the numbers seemed to plateau and even start going up slightly.
Sunday’s data showed about 63.8 cases per 100,000 people, a slight increase on the day before. Also the R rate, which describes infectiousness, stands at 1.11, meaning 100 infected people would pass the disease on to 111 others.
Experts say part of the problem is the new British variant of the virus, which is spreading across Germany and is significantly more contagious.
However, despite the numbers, there is no doubt that growing parts of the country are tired of living in a kind of preventive quarantine, with many schools shut and significant portions of the population working from home.
A survey by the Insa research institute for the Bild am Sonntag newspaper showed that 75 per cent of respondents want stores to reopen; 17 per cent were against. On the question of restaurants, 54 percent want to see a reopening, while 35 per cent said they were against it.
However, only 35 per cent wanted cinemas to reopen, while 46 per cent thought that was a bad idea.
This comes in the lead-up to Wednesday, when Chancellor Angela Merkel and the heads of state are set to decide if there should be any change in the country’s coronavirus policies. At the moment, hair salons are set to reopen on Monday. Large parts of the economy are supposed to remain shuttered through March 7.
The leaders had previously agreed not to make any changes until the number of infected per 100,000 people stood at 35.
Some leaders are pushing to reopen businesses and leisure establishments, but relying more heavily on quick coronavirus tests to keep out those who register as infected. However, the country has had problems getting its hands on sufficient tests to make that a reality.
Thorsten Lehr, a medical expert, noted that, if the lockdown is loosened starting on March 8, that would lead to a scenario where the average person has about 20 per cent more contacts, against the backdrop of a more contagious version of the disease.
He said, given the variant’s dangers, he’s already worried that the infection rate will rise above 100 by early April if the lockdown stays as it is.
The worries have prompted calls for more robust responses, including extending Berlin’s approval of the AstraZeneca vaccine to older people, as well as suggesting Merkel could get the jab live on television to dispel fears about its safety.
The AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine has been approved in Germany for people below age 65, unlike the BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which have been given the green light for the very elderly as well.
Carsten Watzl, secretary general of the German Society for Immunology, told the BBC in an interview to be aired Sunday that German regulators are likely to reverse course on the country’s current advice.
He pointed to recent data from Scotland indicating the elderly are protected from severe disease by the British-Swedish producer’s drug.
“If at that point Angela Merkel were to go on live television and have the vaccine, that would be great,” he added.
In a recent interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 66-year-old Merkel said she was too old to be vaccinated with the AstraZeneca jab according to current German guidelines.
She acknowledged that there is a problem in the country with the public’s acceptance of the AstraZeneca jab, and stressed it was “a reliable vaccine, effective and safe.” Thomas Mertens, chairman of Germany’s Standing Committee on Vaccination (Stiko), said Friday the body plans to reconsider its recommendations for the jab.
Mertens said in comments to broadcaster ZDF that the current age limits were due to a lack of data on the effect on older people and that Stiko never criticized the vaccine, which he called “very good.” Britain has approved the AstraZeneca jab for all ages.
Berlin
Germany is heading to its next big decision about opening up or shutting down even tighter as coronavirus case counts tick upwards, fears of a third wave rise, and exhaustion with shutdowns growing.
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the country’s infectious diseases agency, on Sunday registered 7,890 new cases during the previous 24 hours. Additionally, there were 157 new deaths, pushing the country’s total of coronavirus deaths to 70,045.
Germany had been enjoying sinking case counts until about a week ago, when the numbers seemed to plateau and even start going up slightly.
Sunday’s data showed about 63.8 cases per 100,000 people, a slight increase on the day before. Also the R rate, which describes infectiousness, stands at 1.11, meaning 100 infected people would pass the disease on to 111 others.
Experts say part of the problem is the new British variant of the virus, which is spreading across Germany and is significantly more contagious.
However, despite the numbers, there is no doubt that growing parts of the country are tired of living in a kind of preventive quarantine, with many schools shut and significant portions of the population working from home.
A survey by the Insa research institute for the Bild am Sonntag newspaper showed that 75 per cent of respondents want stores to reopen; 17 per cent were against. On the question of restaurants, 54 percent want to see a reopening, while 35 per cent said they were against it.
However, only 35 per cent wanted cinemas to reopen, while 46 per cent thought that was a bad idea.
This comes in the lead-up to Wednesday, when Chancellor Angela Merkel and the heads of state are set to decide if there should be any change in the country’s coronavirus policies. At the moment, hair salons are set to reopen on Monday. Large parts of the economy are supposed to remain shuttered through March 7.
The leaders had previously agreed not to make any changes until the number of infected per 100,000 people stood at 35.
Some leaders are pushing to reopen businesses and leisure establishments, but relying more heavily on quick coronavirus tests to keep out those who register as infected. However, the country has had problems getting its hands on sufficient tests to make that a reality.
Thorsten Lehr, a medical expert, noted that, if the lockdown is loosened starting on March 8, that would lead to a scenario where the average person has about 20 per cent more contacts, against the backdrop of a more contagious version of the disease.
He said, given the variant’s dangers, he’s already worried that the infection rate will rise above 100 by early April if the lockdown stays as it is.
The worries have prompted calls for more robust responses, including extending Berlin’s approval of the AstraZeneca vaccine to older people, as well as suggesting Merkel could get the jab live on television to dispel fears about its safety.
The AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine has been approved in Germany for people below age 65, unlike the BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which have been given the green light for the very elderly as well.
Carsten Watzl, secretary general of the German Society for Immunology, told the BBC in an interview to be aired Sunday that German regulators are likely to reverse course on the country’s current advice.
He pointed to recent data from Scotland indicating the elderly are protected from severe disease by the British-Swedish producer’s drug.
“If at that point Angela Merkel were to go on live television and have the vaccine, that would be great,” he added.
In a recent interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 66-year-old Merkel said she was too old to be vaccinated with the AstraZeneca jab according to current German guidelines.
She acknowledged that there is a problem in the country with the public’s acceptance of the AstraZeneca jab, and stressed it was “a reliable vaccine, effective and safe.” Thomas Mertens, chairman of Germany’s Standing Committee on Vaccination (Stiko), said Friday the body plans to reconsider its recommendations for the jab.
Mertens said in comments to broadcaster ZDF that the current age limits were due to a lack of data on the effect on older people and that Stiko never criticized the vaccine, which he called “very good.” Britain has approved the AstraZeneca jab for all ages.
