The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported 30,789 new infections within 24 hours on Monday morning. That is 10,340 fewer cases than on Monday a week ago, when 41,129 positive tests were reported. Overall, the number of confirmed infections in Germany is more than 22.67 million. The nationwide seven-day incidence drops to 1080.0 from 1097.9 the previous day. 13 other people died in connection with the virus. This increases the number of reported deaths to 131,728.
The number of infections currently has only limited significance. Experts assume a high number of cases that are not recorded in the RKI data. Test capacities and health authorities are at the limit in many places, contacts are only traced to a limited extent. That is why we use the SZ Corona Dashboard to show an average value from the reports of the past seven days, which is intended to compensate for fluctuations from day to day. You can find more information on this in the transparency blog, further data and graphics on the pandemic here. (04/11/2022)
Strict lockdown won’t stop virus in Shanghai
Even the strict lockdown does not prevent that from happening Coronavirus is spreading more and more in the Chinese economic metropolis of Shanghai. With almost 25,000 locally transmitted infections, the latest numbers are still low compared to major American or European cities. However, since China has been pursuing its “zero Covid strategy”, it is the largest outbreak since Wuhan 2019, from where the pandemic started. On Sunday, authorities reported 1,000 cases with symptoms and around 24,000 without.
The streets in the metropolis, where 26 million people live, are currently empty. Residents are only allowed to leave their homes with special permission, many supermarkets are closed, thousands of couriers cannot work. More and more citizens are therefore expressing concerns about the food supply, and in some cases also about access to medical goods. Videos circulating online show residents loudly arguing with security guards because they need food.
As can be seen from chat groups on social media, there are also fears in other cities in the People’s Republic that there could be rigid lockdowns. In the 18 million city of Guangzhou, the authorities are planning mass tests after a few cases were reported there. (04/10/2022)
SZ correspondent Lea Sahay reported extensively on the situation in Shanghai:
Half of restaurants and hotels require employees to wear masks
Almost every second hotel and restaurant business apparently voluntarily adheres to the mask requirement for employees even after the end of the government requirement – on the other hand, only a minority of the businesses require customers to take appropriate corona protection measures. “According to our current Dehoga survey, 16.2 percent of the companies are sticking to the mask requirement for guests. The 3-G regulation is still applied by 12.1 percent of the companies,” says the general manager of the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (Dehoga). , Ingrid Hartges, dem Editorial network Germany according to a preliminary report.
The restaurateur decides whether wearing masks can be dispensed with according to his operational hygiene concept and the respective risk of infection of the employees. The managing director of the association welcomed the end of the restrictions. These are “measures that have not been in force in many other European countries for weeks,” said Hartges. “Many employees are also very happy that they no longer have to carry out checks.” (04/09/2022)
Lauterbach: We won’t be optimally prepared for the new wave a third time
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach sees the failure of compulsory vaccination as a setback to contain the corona pandemic. He explains this in a joint conference with RKI President Lothar Wieler. This is bad news, especially for vulnerable groups of people and for those who have been working for infected and sick people since the outbreak of the pandemic.
With the end of the precautionary corona vaccination obligation, Lauterbach sees the need for stronger protective measures for the fall. “It is possible, but not very likely, that another corona wave will not be heading our way in autumn,” explains the SPD politician. After the summer, however, you will probably not be optimally prepared for a third time going into a new wave. The Minister of Health assumes that the Infection Protection Act will then have to be amended again. In view of the vaccination gaps that still exist, one cannot go into the cold season without a mask requirement. However, the law must be addressed anyway, as it expires on September 23, Lauterbach continued.
Yesterday’s proceedings were “a clear and bitter defeat”, but it showed a result that society now has to live with. It’s not the time for finger pointing. With a “new and creative” vaccination campaign, Lauterbach would like to address unvaccinated people who do not fundamentally reject immunization – he does not give any specific details.
The Minister of Health sees no scope for further easing in the medium term. After all, there would still be high case numbers and deaths. This is one of the reasons why the decision was made to withdraw the recently announced isolation ordinance. This would have sent the wrong signal. Lauterbach also appeals to everyone to get tested before traveling over the Easter holidays. Holiday plans should not lead to an interruption of the currently favorable development in the number of cases. (08.04.2022)
Scholz refrains from a second attempt for compulsory vaccination
Chancellor Olaf Scholz does not want to vote again on compulsory vaccination. “I find the Bundestag’s decision very clear,” says the SPD politician. “There is no legislative majority in the Bundestag for mandatory vaccination. That is the reality that we must now take as a starting point for our actions.”
Like NRW Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU), he regrets that Parliament has rejected compulsory vaccination. Wüst also sees no chance for a second attempt at a farewell. One must now find other ways to increase the number of vaccinated. As the only one of the three parties in the traffic light coalition, the FDP voted almost unanimously against a general obligation to vaccinate. According to the Bundestag voting record, the FDP parliamentary group received 79 no votes and five yes votes. The relationship was reversed for the coalition partners SPD and Greens.
The health ministers of Baden-Württemberg, Berlin, Brandenburg and Hesse, the evangelical welfare association Diakonie – and the economy have criticized the failure of the vaccination requirement: “This is not a good day for fighting the pandemic,” explains the President of the Confederation of Employers, Rainer dulger “Vaccination remains a key component in the fight against the pandemic.” He adds: “Vaccinations help – also with a view to late autumn and winter – to avoid drastic restrictions on economic and social life.”(07.04.2022)
WHO: Many more infections in Africa than reported
In Africa, with its 1.3 billion people, the number of unreported corona infections is far higher than previously reported, according to the latest WHO findings. “New WHO analysis shows that more than two-thirds of the population may already have acquired some level of immunity after exposure to the coronavirus,” said World Health Organization (WHO) regional director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti. Referring to an as yet unpublished WHO study, she said the official figures only scratch the surface: the true number of infections could be 97 times higher than the number of registered cases.
Africa has officially registered a good 11.5 million infections so far, of which 250,000 were fatal. Many infections were probably not recorded simply because the population was very young on average: Young people in particular often have no or hardly any symptoms. In addition, there is often a lack of testing and recording options. (07.04.2022)
Hospitals: Check facility-related vaccination requirements
After the failure of a general vaccination requirement, the German Hospital Society (DKG) believes that the vaccination requirement for staff in healthcare and nursing facilities, which has been in force since mid-March, is no longer tenable. “I think it is inconceivable that the health authorities are now still banning work for unvaccinated people in the health care system,” says Gerald Gass, CEO of the DKG Rheinische Post. “For us, universal immunization has always been a subsequent necessity to maintain facility-based immunization.” He regretted the failure of compulsory vaccination. The federal and state governments should now prepare for autumn. Then the number of infections can be expected to increase again. (07.04.2022)