The nationwide incidence rose slightly to 5.2 on Thursday (previous day: 5.1; previous week: 5.1). This is evident from the figures from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). According to the institute, the health authorities in Germany registered 970 new corona infections within 24 hours, slightly more cases than in the previous week. A week ago the value was 892 infections. (07/08/2021)
Delta variant dominates in Germany
According to the Robert Koch Institute, the delta variant has been the dominant coronavirus variant in Germany since the end of June. Their share is 59 percent. The proportion of the alpha variant, which had previously spread strongly, is only 33 percent.
The President of the German Society for Immunology, Christine Falk, therefore urgently recommends wearing a mask and complying with the corona rules, including testing. “If we don’t do something, this thing will go through the roof,” she said.
For the professor, the latest RKI results show that the delta variant is easier to establish given the currently low incidences in Germany. “There are only a few new cases overall, but many of them are Delta,” she said. “We have had increasing numbers again since Tuesday. One can draw the conclusion that this variant contributes to the fact that more people are infected again. Because it is easy for the virus to jump from one person to the next.”
One example for Falk is Australia. That thought it was corona-free. “And then an aircraft crew slipped through the close-knit quarantine network.” A crew member went to a shopping mall. “There are animations in which you can see how he walks past people who have caught the virus as a result. In Australia there was no longer a mask requirement.” The alpha variant couldn’t have skipped this way.
“That means that at Delta, just a few virus particles manage to infect a person. And we still have a large proportion of unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated people in Germany. So it is absolutely impossible here without a mask.” Keeping a distance, hygiene, ventilation and testing are the methods of choice. “That should be enough at the moment to recapture the advantage Delta has over Alpha.”
For the RKI, it is clear that the proportion of the Delta variant will continue to increase sharply – most recently from 37 to 59 percent within just one week. This sharp increase is accompanied by a slight increase in the number of cases and a continued low single-digit level of the seven-day incidence. Many experts fear a trend reversal with the increasing delta spread despite increasing vaccination rates. This was observed in Great Britain, among other places, in May. In addition, more than 40 percent of all those infected with the coronavirus know nothing about their infection, according to a study by the Mainz University Medical Center.
“If we’re clever now, we shouldn’t think again: It’ll be all by itself,” warned Falk. “Because we’ve had that before.”
You can now see groups of people celebrating without protection, whether at football or privately. “But that’s just not a good idea with this variant. You simply can’t trust this virus for a second and consider it more harmless than the alpha variant. Otherwise there might be a rude awakening.” (07/08/2021)
Experts, schoolchildren and politicians are calling for more creative vaccination offers
In view of the significantly lower vaccination rate, more and more politicians and experts are calling for “more creative vaccination offers” right where people spend a lot of time. Citizens should also be able to get vaccinated in pedestrian zones, housing estates and at events, demanded the health policy spokeswoman for the SPD parliamentary group, Sabine Dittmar, in the world.
The Marburger Bund doctors’ union sees it similarly: “The local authorities need a little more creativity,” said chairwoman Susanne Johna from Düsseldorf Rheinische Post. “We also have to address people directly and not wait until they come to the vaccination center or to the family doctor. The lower the threshold, the better.”
The Saarland Prime Minister Tobias Hans spoke out in favor of additional incentives. “One could think of a raffle in which, for example, a bicycle, a foreign language course or another nice prize is given out among those who are vaccinated,” said the CDU politician to the newspapers of the Funke media group. Mobile vaccination teams and special campaigns are particularly necessary in socially disadvantaged areas.
The EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides called in Handelsblatt to accelerate vaccination campaigns. The EU will achieve its goal of having enough vaccines for 70 percent of adults by the end of July. But because virus variants “increased the transferability”, you need “more than 70 percent to be safe”. The disease protection authority ECDC will also soon be making recommendations for schools. “We cannot leave children at home just because there are no vaccinations for them,” said Kyriakides.
The Federal Schoolchildren’s Conference calls for a vaccination offer for all young people during the summer holidays. “Especially when it comes to starting school after the holidays, vaccinations are a key factor for safe teaching,” said Secretary General Dario Schramm Editorial network Germany. “It is clear to me that every student from the age of twelve must receive a vaccination offer during the summer holidays.” The first offer for a vaccination against the coronavirus must be made at the beginning of the vacation so that, in the best case, the second vaccination is possible at the end of the vacation.
In the past two weeks, the number of vaccinations per day in Germany has decreased. According to figures from the Robert Koch Institute, 699,500 vaccine doses were administered on Tuesday, 917,000 on the Tuesday of the previous week and more than a million doses on the Tuesdays of the three weeks before. (07/08/2021)
Extensive easing in NRW with incidence below ten
In North Rhine-Westphalia, the corona restrictions in counties and urban districts with a stable seven-day incidence below ten are being relaxed significantly. The state government is introducing a new “incidence level zero” in the new Corona Protection Ordinance, said Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU).
The regulation applies from Friday. In many areas, masks and keeping your distance are then just a recommendation. The mask requirement remains in some areas such as in buses and trains, retail, doctor’s offices, taxis and school transport, said Laumann. Employees with close customer contact such as body-hugging services or service staff in the catering industry would still have to wear a mask or have a negative test certificate.
For larger private events, minimum distances and mask requirements can be waived, even if the number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in seven days is less than ten across the country and the participants have tested negative.
Folk festivals, town, village and rifle festivals are again allowed from Friday if the national incidence and also the incidence in the respective municipality is below ten. The participants must have a negative test certificate with them. Organizers should make random checks. (07/07/2021)
Soon up to 25,000 spectators in the stadium again
Large sporting events with up to 25,000 spectators should be possible again under certain conditions, despite the increasingly rampant delta variant of the corona virus. At certain events, even more participants should be allowed, as emerges from a resolution of the working group for major events of the heads of the state chancelleries on Tuesday, which is available to the German Press Agency. Bavaria wants to set the upper limit at 20,000 spectators. According to information from the federal states, formal approval from the prime minister is not required. However, the new regulation still has to be transferred to the respective state law.
For “large sporting events with a transnational character” the following applies: If there are more than 5,000 spectators, the resolution allows a maximum of half of the spectators possible at the venue, but normally not more than a total of 25,000 people. Bavaria only wants to allow a maximum utilization of 35 percent of the maximum capacity. For certain major events (for example so-called traditional events), the federal states may also allow more spectators under certain circumstances. (07/06/2021)
FFP2 is no longer required – Berliners can shop with a simple surgical mask
The Berlin Senate has agreed to further relax the corona restrictions. They essentially concern the mask requirement, contact restrictions and events and should apply from Saturday, July 10th, as Health Senator Dilek Kalayci (SPD) announced on Tuesday.
In the future, a simple surgical mask will suffice when shopping. The obligation to wear an FFP2 mask is lifted. This also applies to various other areas in which a mask is required. Exception: In public transport, i.e. buses and trains, and for services that are close to the body, such as at the hairdresser’s, an FFP2 mask must still be worn.
In addition, there are no longer any contact restrictions for private meetings indoors – there is no longer a fixed upper limit. So far, a maximum of ten people from a maximum of five households have been allowed to meet inside in private. Own children up to the age of 14 as well as fully vaccinated and recovered persons are not counted. Private encounters outside had already been relaxed two weeks ago. There is a guideline of a maximum of 100 people.
Events in closed rooms are allowed in Berlin from July 10th with up to 1000 people present at the same time instead of the previous 500. In the case of mechanical ventilation and hygiene concepts, even 2000 participants are possible. According to the Senate resolution, outdoor dance events with up to 1000 people at the same time are possible again; they are forbidden inside. In the case of excursions, city tours, boat trips and comparable tourist offers, there is no obligation to book an appointment. (07/06/2021)