Tightened corona measures in Lower Bavaria
Tuesday, November 2nd, 4 p.m .: Lower Bavaria is tightening its measures against the corona pandemic in view of the increasing number of infections. These apply from Wednesday in the nine districts of Kelheim, Landshut, Regen, Deggendorf, Straubing-Bogen, Dingolfing-Landshut, Rottal-Inn, Passau, and Freyung-Grafenau as well as in the three independent cities of Passau, Straubing and Landshut, such as the government of Lower Bavaria announced on Tuesday.
The measures include an FFP2 mask requirement in all areas in which a medical mask previously had to be worn – for example in supermarkets and retailers, in public transport and in leisure facilities. The access rules are also being tightened. Where 3Gplus was previously applied, 2G will be mandatory in the future. In discotheques, for example, entry is only possible for those who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered. The quarantine for close contacts of infected people lasts ten days – without premature free testing.
These measures are the result of a meeting between district administrators and mayors with District President Rainer Haslbeck. “The situation in the Lower Bavarian hospitals is becoming increasingly dramatic. The medical care of intensive care patients is on the brink. This affects the victim of a traffic accident as well as the corona patient. We are facing further tough months of this pandemic and must act.” Those who do not adhere to the measures must expect clear sanctions, it said.
FDP calls for corona tests to be offered free of charge again
Tuesday, November 2nd, 3:02 p.m .: In view of the rapidly increasing number of corona infections, the FDP wants to offer corona tests free of charge to all citizens again. “The vaccination quota is stagnating. Only a fraction of those who have not been vaccinated intend to be vaccinated,” said the outgoing Bavarian FDP state chairman Daniel Föst. “This means that the attempt to boost the vaccination rate by means of financial pressure has failed.”
Since October 11th, PCR tests and self-tests have only been free in exceptional cases. By abolishing the exemption from costs, the federal government had also intended to increase the vaccination quota in the population. The government must now admit its misjudgment and return to free corona tests as soon as possible, said Föst. “Especially against the background of the increasing number of vaccination breakthroughs and the seasonally difficult winter months, we need testing as an additional pillar in pandemic management,” said Föst. At the same time, he called for more speed with the booster vaccinations. “Bavaria has the lowest vaccination rate of all West German federal states and one of the highest incidence values in the whole of Germany,” emphasized Föst.
Fewer and fewer free intensive care beds in Bavaria
Tuesday, November 2nd, 12.11 p.m .: In the intensive care units of many Bavarian hospitals, the distress is increasing due to the rapidly increasing number of corona patients. On Tuesday, 40 of the 96 Bavarian districts and independent cities reported that they had less than ten percent free intensive care beds available. In 23 municipalities, not a single intensive care bed was free, as can be seen from the daily updated intensive care register. Throughout Bavaria, 455 Covid patients were in intensive care units, almost 200 more than two weeks ago.
The intensive care units in the greater Nuremberg-Fürth-Erlangen area as well as in large parts of Upper Bavaria are fully or almost fully occupied. The situation has also worsened in eastern Lower Bavaria. The state government’s corona traffic light, which serves as an indicator of the stress on the clinics, is still on “green”. The traffic light would be switched to “red” by the state government if the nationwide number of Covid intensive care patients rose to 600. This would be linked to renewed restrictions on public life. The high number of corona intensive care patients is already restricting regular operations in some hospitals.
Vaccination certificate without vaccination – trial against a doctor
Tuesday, November 2nd, 9.02 a.m .: He is said to have certified a person with corona vaccinations who did not even exist – on Tuesday (1.30 p.m.) a doctor has to answer for it at the Bayreuth district court. He is accused of issuing incorrect health certificates.
The doctor working in Bayreuth is said to have issued the certificate with the wrong information in January. The – actually unvaccinated – person was supposed to be made easier to travel abroad. According to the court, no further trial dates are planned for the time being.
Corona quarantine in Bavaria is being extended again
Tuesday, November 2nd, 7:04 am: Extended corona quarantine times apply again in Bavaria. Close contacts of a person infected with the coronavirus must again live in isolation from November 2nd for at least seven days before they can test themselves with a PCR or rapid antigen test. They must also not have any typical symptoms of Covid-19. So far, the freest is possible after five days of quarantine. One of the reasons given for the stricter rules was the skyrocketing number of infections.
In addition, a quarantine period of five days has shown that the chains of infection often cannot be broken, says the new general decree. “This is due to the fact that infections can often only be detected after the fifth day or later.” The incubation period is up to 14 days.
In regions with many infections, the responsible district administrative authority could also deviate from the requirements, it said. The quarantine period for close contacts may be extended, for example, by means of a general decree. “This can be done, for example, by eliminating the possibility of early free testing from quarantine for close contacts.” A quarantine of at least seven days is now also required for those who have been fully vaccinated and those who have recovered from a vaccination and who have tested positive for the virus using the PCR method. Only then is it possible to test freely, provided that they have no symptoms.
Seven-day incidence in Bavaria continues to rise
Tuesday, November 2nd, 6:06 am: The seven-day incidence in Bavaria remains extremely high. On Tuesday, the Robert Koch Institute reported a value of 248.9. Compared to the previous day, however, it has only increased marginally. In a comparison of the federal states, Bavaria is in third place behind Thuringia (306.5) and Saxony (284.4).
The districts particularly affected also show significantly higher values. The number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in the past seven days in the Mühldorf am Inn district is 650.7, in Miesbach 620.9 and in Traunstein 614.7. A total of 29 districts and urban districts report a value of more than 300. The state capital Munich reports a value of 131.6. Nationwide, the incidence is 153.7.
New record: the seven-day incidence also rises on Monday
Monday, November 1st, 7.23 a.m .: The incidence in the Free State continues to rise at the beginning of the week: to 248.1 – and is thus higher than ever before. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced this on Monday morning. Especially in southern Bavaria, many people are currently infected with the virus. The district of Mühldorf am Inn still has the highest incidence nationwide with 654.2. On Sunday, the value determined by the RKI in the region of 662.8 was higher than ever before in a Bavarian district. The incidence measures the number of new infections recorded per 100,000 inhabitants within a week. Throughout Bavaria, only the cities of Bayreuth and Hof have an incidence of less than 100. In six districts the value is more than 500.
Too many corona infections: processing backlog in Nuremberg
Sunday, October 31st, 6.30 p.m .: Due to a sudden increase in the reported corona infections, the city of Nuremberg is currently unable to keep up with the processing. There are still several hundred Sars-CoV-2 first cases as well as change reports from Saturday and Sunday that have not been processed, the city said. There are therefore delays in contacting those affected.
This also has an impact on the number of cases reported to the State Office for Health and Food Safety. These form the basis for the figures published by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). The reports from the RKI relating to Nuremberg would therefore not reflect the real situation in the coming days, but would be significantly below the actual numbers, it said. According to the RKI, the seven-day incidence on Sunday was 198.4.
According to the information, the Nuremberg health department has already strengthened the team that processes the reports “as far as possible” at short notice. Further increases are therefore planned.
Record value: seven-day incidence in Bavaria higher than ever
Sunday, October 31, 10:23 a.m .: After a significant increase in the number of corona infections, the seven-day incidence in Bavaria has climbed to a record level of 236.1. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced this on Sunday morning. The district of Mühldorf am Inn had the highest incidence nationwide. At 662.8, the value determined by the RKI is also higher than ever before in a Bavarian district. According to an evaluation of the RKI data by the German Press Agency, the previous maximum value in Bavaria was 651.1. He was found on December 17, 2020 in the Regen district. The incidence measures the number of new infections recorded per 100,000 inhabitants within a week.
Health Minister Klaus Holetschek (CSU) warned on Sunday: “The seven-day incidence of those who have been vaccinated is currently 50.9 in Bavaria. For those who have not been vaccinated, the value is nine times as high at 451.5.” In the intensive care units, these people in particular fought for their lives. “The trend in the number of infections is pointing steeply upwards. I therefore believe that the fact that the epidemic situation is to expire nationwide is wrong and does not fit with the sometimes dramatic occurrence of infections,” said the minister. Within seven days, more than 480 people with a corona infection were newly admitted to hospitals in the Free State, the incidence of hospitalizations is around 3.7.
Because of the progress made in vaccination – more than 64 percent of people in Bavaria are fully vaccinated – the seven-day incidence is no longer the decisive factor for measuring the incidence of infection. The hospitalization rate, represented by the so-called hospital traffic light, is now more decisive. It continues to show green. “We will discuss further measures in the cabinet on Wednesday for corona hotspots, in which the situation in the hospitals is worsening,” announced Holetschek. “We will also talk about a Bavaria-wide mask requirement in class.” Bavaria’s teachers’ associations are behind the planned tightening. In the Free State, the number of infections is increasing, especially among school children.
In particularly affected areas in southern Bavaria, the pandemic requirements will be tightened from November 1st. In the districts of Mühldorf am Inn, Altötting, Traunstein, Berchtesgadener Land and Miesbach, as well as in the city and district of Rosenheim, new provisions on the mask requirement and participation in public events will then apply. Throughout Bavaria, only five regions had an incidence of less than 100 on Sunday – the cities of Bayreuth and Hof and the districts of Main-Spessart, Tirschenreuth and Bayreuth.