According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the seven-day incidence has risen to 81.9. The previous day the value was 80.2, a week ago it was 84.3. The new value may not be accurate. The RKI dashboard showed only one new case for Baden-Württemberg on Sunday. In the previous days it was well over 1000.
The health authorities in Germany reported 5511 new corona infections to the RKI. A week ago the value was 4749 infections. There were also twelve new deaths. A week ago there were eight deaths.
The number of corona patients admitted to clinics per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days was last given by the RKI on Friday at 1.95. The previous high was around 15.5 around Christmas time. The number of people who died with or with a proven infection with Sars-CoV-2 rose to 92,618. (13.09.2021)
Merkel: “I therefore ask you: Protect yourself and others!”
In view of the fourth corona wave, Chancellor Angela Merkel is promoting the nationwide vaccination week. Of the patients treated in the hospital or in the intensive care unit, “the vast majority” are unvaccinated, said the CDU politician in her podcast published on Sunday. “In order to get through autumn and winter safely and to get the virus under permanent control, we have to convince even more people to get vaccinated.” There is now a sufficiently reliable and effective vaccine available.
“General practitioners and mobile vaccination teams are ready to give you protection against the disease,” said Merkel, referring to the vaccination campaign week. “So I ask you: Protect yourself and others! Get vaccinated! Now!”
From Monday, low-threshold offers are to be made on site during the vaccination week. To this end, the federal, state and local governments worked together with organizations and associations, as Health Minister Jens Spahn announced. The campaign is running on social media under the hashtag #hierwirdgeimpft, and there is also a website of the same name.
The faction leader of the AfD in the Bundestag, Alice Weidel, has meanwhile announced her party’s complaints against the so-called 2-G rule. “We will take action against any discrimination against unvaccinated people in any case,” Weidel told the news portal T-Online. The 2-G rule means that only vaccinated and convalescent people are allowed access to certain areas of public life.
British government no longer expects a lockdown
British Health Minister Sajid Javid does not expect further lockdowns in the fight against the corona crisis. “I don’t expect any more lockdowns,” Javid told the BBC on Sunday. At the same time, he ruled out that only people with a so-called Covid ID card would be given access to major events. “We looked at it carefully,” said Javid. However, “the plans for vaccination certificates will not be pursued”.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to present his plans for the fight against the coronavirus in the colder season in the coming days, when people are more indoors again. Johnson will make it clear that the vaccination campaign is working, Javid told Sky News. “Of course we still want to be very careful.” For example, some rules would have to remain in force when traveling. Great Britain is considered to be one of the European countries most affected by the infection. However, the country started vaccinations very early.
Statutory health insurance chief: Enthusiasm for booster vaccinations low
According to the chairman of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, people’s interest in a third corona vaccination is currently low. “The figures show that currently neither a particularly large number of doctors are participating in the booster vaccinations, nor is there a great need for a further dose in the population,” said Andreas Gassen World on sunday.
According to the Robert Koch Institute on Friday, a little more than 162,000 people in Germany have had what is known as a booster vaccination. In several federal states, these are already offered to certain people whose second vaccination was at least six months ago.
Gassen sees the fact that these offers have so far been hesitant to be accepted in the current lack of recommendations from the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko). “The population has now rightly learned not to listen to politicians, but rather to doctors when vaccinating.” The doctors are also unsettled by the renewed rush of politics and the incomplete data situation.
“After the very stressful vaccination campaign, there is only limited enthusiasm to carry out individual booster vaccinations that are poorly remunerated and costly in terms of organization,” said Gassen. According to its boss Thomas Mertens, the Stiko is planning a recommendation for booster vaccinations in the near future. (11.09.2021)
Biontech vaccine could be approved for children in the US in October
A vaccination with the vaccine from Pfizer and Biontech against Covid-19 for children between five and eleven years of age could be approved in the US next month, according to insiders. The responsible American drug agency FDA could grant emergency approval by the end of October if all clinical data are submitted on time, said two people familiar with the matter. (09/10/2021)
Crete and Corsica are no longer high-risk areas
The federal government is removing the islands of Crete and Corsica, which are popular with holidaymakers, from the list of corona high-risk areas. This will apply from next Sunday. As for France, that leaves only the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region and some overseas territories on the list, like that Robert Koch Institute announced. Greece is no longer represented by a single sub-area on the list of high-risk areas. (10.09.2021)
39 people infected with corona after a 2-G party in Münster
After a party under 2-G conditions in a club in Münster, the number of corona infections rose to 39. Further infections are likely, according to the city administration. Those affected are mainly immunized people between their early and mid-twenties. They have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all.
The search for further possibly affected contacts is difficult because the current Corona Protection Ordinance does not provide for the traceability of guests. The guests were infected on September 3rd at the party with about 380 guests. The city meanwhile praised the club operators. The hygiene concept they introduced in mid-August is exemplary. The operators have independently tightened the prescribed 3-G access requirement to 2 G, which means that only vaccinated and convalescent people should have access. Despite the praise, the health department requested the vaccination certificates of the affected guests. (09/10/2021)
Biontech founder: “We still have around 60 days as a society”
Özlem Türeci and Uğur Şahin, the founders of the Biontech company, are calling on Germany to convince as many undecided people as possible to have a vaccination in the coming weeks. “As a society, we still have around 60 days to avoid a harsh winter,” said Şahin in an interview with the mirrors. “We should do what we can to mobilize as many people as possible in these two months.” All ideas should be welcome. Türeci emphasized: “Everyone who has been vaccinated also helps. We shouldn’t give up.” (10.09.2021)
Stiko recommends vaccination for pregnant women
The Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) recommends that pregnant and breastfeeding women be vaccinated against Covid-19. From the second trimester of pregnancy onwards, immunization with an mRNA vaccine makes sense, announced the Robert Koch Institute. She also called on all those of childbearing age who had not yet been vaccinated to get vaccinated so that there was protection against the disease before pregnancy.
Stiko announced that its recommendation was based on a systematic review of the data that have become available in recent weeks on the risk of severe Covid-19 courses in pregnancy and on the effectiveness and safety of a vaccination for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
In the vaccination recommendation that has been valid so far, the Stiko does not yet advocate a general vaccination during pregnancy. Random vaccinations of pregnant women, for example if they did not yet know that they are expecting a baby, are “not an indication for an abortion,” it says.
Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) said: “Even pregnant and breastfeeding women now have a clear recommendation for vaccinations. After many months with many open questions, this means finally scientifically founded certainty.” He made an urgent appeal to pregnant and breastfeeding women: “Ask your doctor. Get vaccinated. You protect yourself and your child.” Doctors have already been able to vaccinate pregnant women, but the Stiko recommendation so far only included pregnant women with previous illnesses and a resulting high risk of severe corona disease or with an increased risk of infection due to their living conditions. (10.09.2021)
NRW suspends compensation for unvaccinated people in quarantine
As a rule, North Rhine-Westphalia will soon no longer pay compensation to unvaccinated people for loss of earnings in the event of quarantine. According to the Federal Infection Protection Act, the state will let the regulation for unvaccinated people expire on October 11, the Ministry of Health announced in Düsseldorf on Friday. However, people who cannot be vaccinated against corona for health reasons still have a claim. This also applies to those who have recovered and who have been vaccinated who have to be in quarantine due to so-called vaccination breakthroughs or new illnesses.
NRW Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU) had already announced this step in the state parliament on Thursday and mentioned the term of continued payment of wages. In the event of an officially ordered quarantine, employees are entitled to compensation under the Infection Protection Act. In the law, however, it is clear that if a quarantine can be avoided by vaccination, for example, there is no entitlement, explained Laumann. In his opinion, the quarantine could not remain a national task in the long term. According to the ministry, around 120 million euros have so far been spent in North Rhine-Westphalia for compensation for loss of earnings in connection with an officially ordered quarantine. (10.09.2021)
So far 31,000 Covid diseases in Germany despite double vaccination
So far, almost 31,000 people in Germany have contracted Covid-19 despite being completely vaccinated. This emerges from the latest management report from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). Since February 1, 30,880 so-called vaccination breakthroughs – i.e. symptomatic corona infections at least two weeks after a full vaccination – have been registered. The RKI still rates the effectiveness of the vaccination as high: in adults it is between 86 and 87 percent, depending on the age group.
According to the RKI, the inadequate vaccination rates among younger adults are also reflected in Germany’s intensive care units. From mid-August to the beginning of September there were more 18- to 59-year-olds among the patients cared for there than people over 60. This could be interpreted as an effect of the vaccination campaign and the so far insufficiently high rates among 18- to 59-year-olds. The proportion of Covid patients is growing again in the intensive care units. There are currently almost 1400 people nationwide, an increase of 22 percent compared to the previous week. (09/09/2021)