The Greens chairman Robert Habeck wants to reintroduce free corona tests. “It was already a mistake at that time to expose them, it was a measure to motivate the non-vaccinated negatively,” said Habeck on Thursday at RTL / ntv. Corona rapid tests have only been free in exceptional cases since October 11th.
Habeck was not surprised by the record numbers of new corona infections: “The vaccination rate is below 70 percent, the delta variant is more contagious than the previous variants – and the rest is mathematics.” He therefore expects more restrictions for citizens who have not yet been vaccinated against the virus. Conversely, vaccinated people who are less at risk would get “more freedom”.
The acting Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) told Bayerischer Rundfunk: “Now the question is how do we avoid overloading the health system. It is not about annoying or bullying the unvaccinated, as I sometimes read, it is about protecting the healthcare system and the nursing staff […]so that patients can be treated well. “
Robert Habeck, who is traded as minister in a possible traffic light coalition with the SPD and FDP, also spoke out against a further meeting of the prime ministers of the federal states to reassess the situation. “The Prime Minister’s Conference is a coordinating body, not a decision-making body, and that has not worked really well in the past.” (04/11/21)
Almost 34,000 new infections reported in one day
The number of new infections reported daily in Germany has reached a peak. The health authorities in Germany reported 33,949 new corona infections to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) within one day, 172 more than on December 18. A week ago the value was 28 037 infections. The nationwide seven-day incidence was therefore 154.5. The previous day the value was 146.6, a week ago it was 130.2. It was initially unclear to what extent the All Saints holiday on Monday played a role in the development of the numbers in five federal states.
On December 18, 33,777 cases had been reported within 24 hours. This included around 3500 late reports from Baden-Württemberg from the previous day. The peak of the third wave of infections was 29,518 on April 22nd.
Across Germany, 165 deaths were recorded within 24 hours. A week ago there were 126 deaths. The RKI has counted 4,672,368 detected infections with Sars-CoV-2 since the beginning of the pandemic. The number of corona patients admitted to clinics per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days was given by the RKI on Wednesday at 3.62 (Tuesday: 3.29). The previous high was around 15.5 around Christmas time. (04/11/21)
Editor’s note: In an earlier version of this article, there was talk of “almost 40,000 new infections” in Germany. However, only almost 34,000 new infections were registered. Please excuse the mistake.
General practitioner boss calls for mandatory vaccinations for all nursing staff
One reason for the high number of infections is that the virus spreads faster among unvaccinated people than among people who are vaccinated. In order to protect endangered people more, the chairman of the general practitioner association, Ulrich Weigeldt, calls for a mandatory vaccination for employees in old people’s and nursing homes and intensive care units. “No unvaccinated person is allowed to have contact with such a vulnerable group, either professionally or as a visitor,” Weigeldt said image.
The “ideology” of not being able to oblige anyone to vaccinate has been “a big mistake” and “must come to an end,” quotes the image Weigeldt. (04/11/2021)
Union calls for jail for vaccination forgers
The Union parliamentary group wants to face severe penalties for people who produce, sell, or use falsified vaccination certificates to circumvent measures to contain the corona pandemic. Since the current legal situation does not allow that, the CDU and CSU are expected to introduce a draft for a “law to improve the protection of vaccination passports” in the Bundestag in the coming week. This would close a loophole in the law that Federal Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) has so far paid too little attention to, said the group’s legal policy spokesman, Jan-Marco Luczak (CDU).
The draft stipulates that in the future not only the deception of authorities and insurance companies should be punishable, but also the presentation of a fake in the pharmacy or at the employer. In addition, false vaccination certificates that “concern threatening communicable diseases” are to be included in the group of cases that are classified as “particularly serious forgery of documents”.
Anyone who pretends to be a doctor and issues a certificate about their own state of health or that of another should face a prison sentence of up to two years or a fine, according to the Union’s proposal. In particularly serious cases – such as commercial falsification – the draft provides for a prison sentence of three months to ten years. “Anyone who falsifies vaccination passports or uses forgeries endangers people’s health and shakes trust and acceptance of corona protective measures. That must be severely punished,” said Luczak.
The Osnabrück Regional Court had ruled on October 26th that showing a forged vaccination card in a pharmacy to obtain a digital vaccination certificate was not a criminal offense under the current legal situation. It is to be assumed from a “criminal liability loophole”. (04/11/2021)
Merkel thinks it makes sense to expand the 2-G rule
The Executive Chancellor calls for stronger controls on the so-called 3-G rule and considers further restrictions for non-vaccinated people to be conceivable. Government spokesman Steffen Seibert said on Wednesday in Berlin that compliance with the access rules is of no interest to some, clearing the way for the virus. Only if the rules are observed and controlled can a good protection be achieved for the whole community, he said.
Seibert emphasized that, according to the Chancellor’s position, there should be no further restrictions on vaccinated people, even in view of the increasing number of infected and corona patients in hospitals. If the pandemic situation worsens, further restrictions are only possible for non-vaccinated people. “That then logically leads to the 2-G rule,” said Seibert. While with the 3-G rule, people who have had negative reactions to the coronavirus on a daily basis are given access to restaurants, for example, only those who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered can enter with 2-G. Some federal states would consider this expansion. That has a certain logic, said Seibert. (03/11/2021)
Spahn: “The speed when boosting is not enough”
The Managing Minister of Health Jens Spahn (CDU) is pushing for more speed with booster vaccinations. “The speed of boosting is not enough,” said Spahn in the federal press conference. Although it was agreed with the federal states three months ago that residents in care facilities and all over 60s should be offered a booster vaccination, there have only been two million booster vaccinations since then.
Spahn criticized the federal states. You should inform those affected how North Rhine-Westphalia and Berlin are doing this. The federal states have committed to leaving vaccination centers in stand-by mode and should now reactivate them. He will also talk to medical representatives. “Too many people who want to be vaccinated cannot find a doctor to vaccinate them at the moment,” said Spahn. “The pandemic is far from over,” emphasized the Minister of Health. With the end of the epidemic emergency one leaves a legal state of emergency, but the pandemic and especially the fourth wave are there “with full force”.
Spahn warned that the regulations of 3G (vaccinated, recovered, tested) and the distance and hygiene rules should be consistently enforced and, if necessary, tightened to 2G (vaccinated, recovered), for example in high-incidence regions. He also spoke out in favor of mandatory tests for visitors and staff in places where many vulnerable people live. “I don’t want to have to experience dying in the nursing homes again like last winter.” However, Spahn refused an obligation to vaccinate nursing staff.
“If we don’t take countermeasures now, this fourth wave will bring a lot of suffering again,” said Lothar Wieler, President of the Robert Koch Institute. You have the tools in hand. There is no reason not to get vaccinated. The vaccines are approved and safe. Vaccinated sick people are much better protected, but can still pass the virus on, warned Wieler. The vaccination is not a silver bullet: it does not work the same for everyone who is vaccinated. “In addition, the vaccination protection can decrease over time – especially in the elderly, who are already very vulnerable.”
A broad booster campaign would have a clear effect not only on protection, but also on the spread of the virus, said Leif Erik Sander, head of the research group for infection immunology and vaccine research at the Berlin Charité. He referred to Israel that the delta wave had “effectively boosted itself”. (03/11/2021)
Two thirds of the people in Germany are vaccinated
55.6 million people (66.8 percent) in Germany are now fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to figures from the RKI. 57.8 million people (69.5 percent) received at least one vaccination. 2.2 million people have also received a booster vaccination. According to the RKI, about 196,000 vaccine doses were administered on Tuesday.
There are still considerable regional differences in the level of Covid 19 vaccinations: Among the federal states, Bremen has the highest proportion of first-time vaccinations with 81.2 percent. 14 other federal states have reached the 60 percent mark, only Saxony is below this mark with 59 percent. (03/11/2021)
In the US, children five years and older can be vaccinated starting this week
The US disease agency CDC is clearing the way for children between the ages of five and eleven to be vaccinated with funds from Biontech / Pfizer. A corresponding recommendation from CDC director Rochelle Walensky comes hours after the approval of specialist advisors. The US FDA issued an emergency approval for appropriate vaccinations on Friday. In an initial statement from the Office of the President, it is said that the vaccination program for children will now be ramped up. (03/11/2021)