The health authorities in Germany reported 538 new corona infections to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) within one day. That comes from numbers from Sunday morning. A week ago the value was 842 infections. The RKI gave the seven-day incidence nationwide as 5.7. The day before it was 5.9, in the previous week it was 8.8.
Eight new deaths were recorded across Germany within 24 hours. A week ago there were 16 dead. According to the RKI, the seven-day R-value on Saturday evening was 0.82 (previous day: 0.78). This means that 100 infected people theoretically infect 82 more people. The R-value represents the occurrence of the infection 8 to 16 days ago. If it is below 1 for a longer period of time, the infection process subsides; if it is consistently higher, the number of cases increases. (27.06.2021)
Federal government gives organizers hope for a new start in autumn
About a month and a half after the first lockdown in spring 2020, there could be a restart for the event industry in the fall. “With the increasing vaccination rate, I am confident, despite new virus variants, that we will soon return to normal,” said State Secretary for Economic Affairs Thomas Bareiß (CDU) World on sunday.
Of course, the visitors would have to be vaccinated or tested. “If everyone has received a vaccination offer, there is no longer any reason why events with 10,000 visitors or more should not be possible again.” It could be in late autumn. He wants to work for the most uniform rules possible in the federal states. Vaccination refusers may then have to stay outside. “Anyone who claims the freedom not to be vaccinated or tested must also accept the organizer’s entrepreneurial freedom not to let him in,” said Bareiß.
Sales in the concert and event industry slumped by 80 percent last year compared to 2019. For this year, the Federal Association of the Concert and Event Industry is even anticipating a 98 percent decline compared to 2019. “A total of almost eleven billion euros in revenue would then be lost,” says association president Jens Michow World on sunday. (27.06.2021)
Chairman of the Conference of Health Ministers: Strictly test returning travelers
According to the wishes of Bavaria’s Minister of Health Klaus Holetschek (CSU), vacationers returning to Germany from abroad should be closely checked for vaccination cards and negative corona tests at the borders. That said the CSU politician, who is also chairman of the conference of health ministers Picture on sunday with a view to the rapid expansion of the delta variant.
“In contrast to last summer, nationwide test systems have been set up throughout Germany. It is crucial that tests are carried out before entry and that the test certificates are not just randomly checked at the border crossings and airports,” said Holetschek. The federal government and the state are in close coordination to ensure close controls during the travel time, said Holetschek. (27.06.2021)
Experts also recommend vaccination for those who have recovered
According to experts, vaccination for recovered corona patients makes sense even if the antibody level is high. One can assume that in six months there will usually be very good protection for all people who have gone through Covid, but the development will be different, said the President of the Paul Ehrlich Institute, Klaus Cichutek, in a panel discussion in Berlin.
“There are people for whom there are relatively low values at the beginning and who then also decrease relatively quickly, for other people it is different.” It is not yet entirely clear in detail what exactly protects against Covid-19. “That’s why I would advise against simply orienting myself to the antibody level.” A one-time vaccination after recovery ensures that there is full protection.
“There may be people who have antibodies in their blood, but these antibodies do not protect at all,” said the President of the Robert Koch Institute, Lothar Wieler. Others have protection, although no antibodies can be detected in them. In any case, vaccinated convalescents would have very good immune protection. (26.06.2021)
Spahn announces more vaccine for July and August
The supply of Covid-19 vaccine in Germany will improve significantly in the coming weeks, according to Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn. For example, Moderna will deliver twice as much vaccine as expected in July / August, said the CDU politician on Saturday in Berlin. In the coming week there would also be a million cans from Johnson & Johnson, “which were still available at short notice”. A large delivery from Astrazeneca and Biontech is also pending.
“In the first week of July we will deliver almost five million doses to the vaccination centers in the various countries. We have never seen this scale,” said Spahn. “By the end of July, every adult in Germany who wants to be vaccinated will have received a first vaccination; if deliveries continue like this, maybe a little earlier,” said the Minister of Health.
The President of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Lothar Wieler, called for the vaccination not to let up. This is the “most powerful tool” against the pandemic. “We are talking about more than 80 percent of the people who live in our country,” said Wieler when asked how many people would have to be vaccinated. (26.06.2021)
Minister of Education: no guarantee for open schools
Federal Minister of Education Anja Karliczek does not rule out school closings due to corona measures in the coming school year, but is optimistic that they can be avoided. RTL / NTV said the CDU politician: “I am very optimistic that we can start off well and that we will then (…) be able to keep schools open for as long as possible”. No one can give a guarantee, she added. “Because we don’t know what these mutations that are on the move in the world are still going to do.”
Compared to last summer, however, there are now the advantages of vaccination, tests and good hygiene concepts. “The top priority is classroom teaching and we are doing everything we can to ensure that we can maintain it for as long as possible,” said Karliczek. Overall, she was “very optimistic” that everything was going well. Even if there is a virus variant where the vaccine does not work 100 percent, he ensures that the disease is no longer quite as severe. (06/26/2021)