The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reports 37,568 new infections within 24 hours. That is 113,107 fewer cases than on Saturday a week ago, when 150,675 positive tests were reported. Overall, the number of confirmed infections in Germany is more than 23.37 million. The nationwide seven-day incidence drops significantly to 876.5 from 1001.5 the previous day. 29 other people died in connection with the virus. This increases the number of reported deaths to 132,929. The RKI points out that the numbers fluctuate over the holidays due to a lower number of tests and fewer reports and that there may be under-recordings.
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. (04/16/2022)
Robert Koch Institute urges caution at Easter
Despite the fact that the current corona wave has clearly passed its peak, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) warns of caution and responsible behavior before the Easter holidays. The infection pressure remains “very high with more than a million Covid 19 cases transmitted to the RKI within a week,” writes the RKI in the weekly report on Thursday evening. The further course of the pandemic remains largely dependent on whether most people behave prudently and considerately and to what extent contacts increase, it said.
According to the RKI, the nationwide seven-day incidence has fallen by 24 percent in a weekly comparison. The previous report had already stated that the peak of the wave had now clearly passed. For the first time this year, the number of new hospital admissions of patients with Covid-19 and a severe respiratory disease in all age groups has also decreased, it said.
Nevertheless, the RKI health experts pointed out that the capacities in the health system, especially in the inpatient and intensive care areas, are still under heavy strain due to numerous corona failures among staff.
In the weekly report and on Twitter, the RKI experts repeated their appeals for vaccination. In addition, it is urgently necessary to act responsibly over the holidays. “Our behavior determines the course of the pandemic,” it said an RKI tweet. (04/15/2022)
Majority continue to wear masks indoors
Despite the fact that masks are no longer compulsory, the majority of the population continues to wear mouth and nose protection in indoor public spaces. For example, 58 percent still wear a mask in shops to protect against the corona virus, according to a survey by the opinion research institute YouGov on behalf of the German Press Agency. 19 percent do without a mask, 23 percent use it “occasionally”.
More than two thirds of those surveyed (70 percent) also stated that they did not let other people influence their decision to wear a mask. Only 8 percent have this factor influencing their decision. Occasionally, 21 percent are influenced by the behavior of others on this issue. (04/15/2022)
Pharmaceutical industry: Supply of corona vaccines exceeds demand
According to the pharmaceutical association IFPMA, there are now more corona vaccine doses available worldwide than can be administered. “The vaccine supply currently exceeds demand,” said IFPMA Director General Thomas Cueni in Geneva. Since the start of production towards the end of 2020, around 13.7 billion vaccine doses have been manufactured and around eleven billion have been administered.
A total of almost eight billion vaccine doses could be produced this year, said Cueni. Still, not all people who needed it would be vaccinated. This is not due – as was the case until late summer 2021 – to the lack of vaccine doses, but to the fact that the vaccination programs in some countries have not fully started. This must be better organized in the event of possible new pandemics.
Cueni and the bosses of the pharmaceutical companies Pfizer, Albert Bourla, Roche Pharmaceuticals, Bill Anderson and Eli Lilly, David A. Ricks criticized ongoing calls to suspend patents on Covid-19 vaccines or drugs. The investments that led to the rapid development of vaccines and medicines were only possible over the years thanks to patent protection. (04/14/2022)
Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are now also relaxing the corona rules
Two federal states have declared themselves corona hotspots in order to be able to impose stricter restrictions – but in both these will be significantly relaxed in the foreseeable future. In Hamburg, the regulations are to expire at the end of April as planned and will not be extended. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the 3-G rule will largely be lifted from this Thursday.
In addition to gastronomy, this affects, for example, cultural and leisure facilities, body-related services, trade fairs and events, says Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD). According to her, only masks and distance will apply there. Tourists who have not been vaccinated or have recovered would still have to present a negative test in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on arrival at the hotel. 2 G plus continues to apply in clubs and discos.
The abolition of 3 G had already been decided for restaurants on Tuesday of last week on Maundy Thursday. Since the number of corona infections and the number of patients in hospitals and intensive care units have continued to fall, this easing can be extended to other areas, said Schwesig. She does not consider the obligation to carry out a corona test when tourists arrive to be a major impairment of Easter business. The industry is expecting 300,000 guests in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which corresponds to an occupancy rate of 75 percent.
In addition to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Hamburg was the only federal state that had made use of the hotspot rule in the Infection Protection Act and passed stricter rules. An extension beyond April 30 is currently not planned, said the spokesman for the red-green Senate, Marcel Schweitzer. The prerequisite, however, is that there is not another dramatic increase in infections. Only then would the obligation to wear masks indoors and in retail outlets and the 2-G-plus access rule at dance events also no longer apply in the Hanseatic city. In the other federal states, the mask requirement – with the exception of buses and trains and in facilities requiring special protection – was already abolished on April 1st. (04/12/2021)
Millions of vaccine doses must probably be destroyed
According to the Federal Ministry of Health, around three million doses of corona vaccine are at risk of being destroyed in Germany by the end of June. There is currently more vaccine available than is used and can be donated. The international vaccine initiative Covax, for example, is currently no longer accepting donations, said a ministry spokesman.
The fact that Biontech’s vaccine can now be stored longer is good news. Therefore, by the end of June, it is not assumed that there will be ten, but three million cans that will have to be destroyed. Initially, the ministry responded to a request from the Union faction in the Bundestag that more than ten million cans could reach their expiry date by the end of June. The spokesman did not comment on the cost of destroyed cans. That would allow conclusions to be drawn about prices that are not announced.
According to the Ministry of Health, Germany still had 77 million doses of corona vaccine in stock at the beginning of April. According to the vaccination dashboard, only a few tens of thousands of doses per day were administered recently. Last December, there were sometimes more than a million vaccinations a day. (04/11/2022)
Shanghai eases lockdown
The Chinese port metropolis wants to carefully relax the strict corona lockdown for its 26 million inhabitants. According to an announcement by the Shanghai municipal government, neighborhoods or building complexes will be divided into three categories based on the number of infections. Only where there have been no cases in the past two weeks will the curfew be lifted and only spoken of as a “prevention area”. These include 7565 residential complexes – a good 40 percent.
In addition, 2460 “controlled areas” were identified in which no infections had been detected in the past seven days. Here, the residents are allowed to move outdoors at least on the grounds of the residential complex. There is no relaxation for 7,624 “closed neighborhoods” that have had infections in the past seven days. Residents have to stay in their homes there.
It is unclear how quickly the new rules will be implemented and how many people will actually benefit from them. According to the announcement, the boroughs will “progressively” announce the list of areas and delineate them “in a reasonable period of time”. However, the status will be changed immediately if cases arise again. The city administration called on residents who can move freely to avoid larger gatherings and to be less mobile.
The lockdown, which has been in place for two weeks in some cases, has not yet reduced the number of new infections in Shanghai. The metropolis had a high of 26,000 cases on Sunday. The majority are asymptomatic. Anyone who is infected must be in quarantine. Exhibition halls in Shanghai have been converted for this purpose. There is a lot of resentment in the city because of problems with the supply of people or the separation of children from their parents. With the fast-spreading omicron variant BA.2, China’s zero-Covid strategy is being put to the test. The most populous country is currently experiencing the worst corona wave since the pandemic began two years ago. (04/11/2022)
SZ correspondent Lea Sahay reported extensively on the situation in Shanghai: