Status: 07/14/2021 3:55 p.m.
Nationwide, the seven-day incidence is increasing again – according to the RKI, especially in the age group of 20 to 24-year-olds. The first regions are already reacting to the renewed increase in infections.
The seven-day incidence has been increasing again nationwide for several days. According to the Robert Koch Institute, it is currently 7.1. Younger people in particular are becoming more infected with the corona virus, as the institute’s current management report shows.
The incidence rose particularly sharply in the age group of 20 to 24 year olds within two weeks – from 10 to 19. The RKI also speaks of a slight increase in infections among adolescents aged 15 and over. In other age groups, however, the incidence is declining or constant. In the case of senior citizens, for example, the value was also continuously at 1 within two weeks.
Waiting longer for vaccination
RKI boss Lothar Wieler sees one reason for the different development in the incidence in the vaccination rate. Younger adults had to or sometimes have to wait significantly longer for a vaccination appointment than older citizens. In the age group 60 and over, almost 72 percent have been fully vaccinated against the virus. In the age groups below that, the rate is currently around 42 percent.
According to the RKI, a similar trend was observed last summer: First, the number of new infections among 15 to 30-year-olds rose again, and later also in older age groups. But Wieler emphasized that the conditions were different this year, also with reference to the advancing vaccination campaign. However, due to the spread of the delta variant, there is still a risk for older people to become infected despite being vaccinated.
Slight plus for imported cases
According to the figures from the RKI, traveling in the holiday and summer weeks has only had a minor impact on the infection rate in Germany. However, according to Wieler, the number of imported cases has increased slightly: In the past week, the RKI recorded 555 corona cases in which those affected were probably infected abroad. In the previous weeks, the numbers fluctuated between 259 and 412 such cases.
More than 1500 new infections within one day
Since July 6, with a low of 4.9, the seven-day incidence in Germany has risen again. In the past 24 hours, the health authorities reported 1,548 new corona infections to the RKI, around 550 more than a week ago. The number of deaths related to corona infection rose by 28 within one day.
The RKI has counted 3,738,683 detected infections with Sars-CoV-2 since the beginning of the pandemic. The actual total number is likely to be significantly higher, as many infections are not detected. 91,287 people known to have been infected with the virus died.
Federal government concerned about increase in incidence
The federal government expressed concern at the rising incidence values. “We now had several days on which the number of infections was 50, 55 percent higher than in the previous week – this is of course a development that we cannot look at indifferently,” said government spokesman Steffen Seibert. The situation in other European countries such as Spain, the Netherlands or Great Britain shows “how quickly a situation can worsen again”.
The seven-day incidence has so far been the basis for many corona restrictions in the pandemic, for example as part of the “Federal Emergency Brake” which expired at the end of June. In the future, other values such as hospital admissions are to be taken into account to a greater extent.
Tightening in Lower Saxony
For the time being, however, cities and counties continue to fall back on the incidence. In some regions of Lower Saxony, for example, the rules are being tightened again, as the numbers here consistently exceed the first threshold of ten new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within a week. From today onwards, “Level 1” applies in the Wolfsburg city area (seven-day incidence at 16.9) until further notice. These include restrictions on contacts to a maximum of ten people, closed celebrations in restaurants with no more than 100 people and a mask requirement at weekly markets. Discos and clubs are only allowed to use up to 50 percent of their capacity.
In the Hanover region (12.2), the tightened measures will come into force on Thursday. The corresponding general decree has already been issued. The tightening will therefore only be withdrawn if the incidence value is below ten again on five consecutive working days, such as the one NDR reported.
Relaxation in Saxony
In parts of Saxony, however, the measures are being relaxed. As it became known on Tuesday, the mask requirement when shopping is said to fall there with an incidence of less than ten. Health Minister Petra Köpping announced that the regulation will take effect next Friday. Mouth and nose protection must still be worn on buses and trains as well as in medical facilities such as hospitals or nursing homes. All districts and cities in the Free State are currently below the threshold of ten new weekly infections per 100,000 inhabitants.