Status: 03.07.2021 5:36 a.m.
In Germany, too, the delta variant is now likely to dominate, but the incidence value remains low. According to the RKI, it has now fallen below the value of 5. In around 40 districts and cities it is even 0.
The nationwide seven-day incidence of new corona infections has fallen below five cases per 100,000 inhabitants. As the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced in the morning, citing information from the health authorities, the value fell to 4.9.
Most recently, the value was below the 5 threshold just under a year ago – on July 30, 2020 at 4.8. It reached its highest level to date on December 22nd with 197.6.
671 new corona infections and 16 deaths related to the virus were reported to the RKI within 24 hours. The total number of corona cases recorded in Germany since the beginning of the pandemic is 3,730,353, the number of corona deaths is 91,023. The RKI puts the number of those recovered from a corona infection at around 3,627,800.
Around 40 cities and districts currently report an incidence of 0. Values over 20 are currently only available in four cities and districts, including Germany’s fifth largest city, Frankfurt am Main.
WHO: World in “dangerous phase” because of Delta
Even if the number of corona cases is currently very low, the spread of the particularly contagious delta variant of the corona virus is cause for concern. Experts assume that it is now the dominant variant in Germany, or at least it will soon be.
The head of the World Health Organization sees the world in “a very dangerous phase” of the coronavirus pandemic because of the delta variant. Because the mutant has now been detected in almost 100 countries, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The delta variant is mutating even further and is developing into the predominant virus type in many countries. Against this background, Tedros urged a high vaccination rate worldwide.
In Germany, according to RKI figures from Friday, 38 percent of the population are fully vaccinated, and almost 56 percent have received at least the first dose of vaccine. This makes Germany one of the countries in the world where the vaccination rate is high.
The Corona variants and their names
The World Health Organization (WHO) is now using neutral names for the variants of the coronavirus. They are no longer to be named after the countries in which they were first discovered. With this, the WHO wants to prevent discrimination and stigmatization.
alpha The name of the variant that first appeared in Great Britain is B.1.1.7.
beta is the name for the variant B.1.351 discovered in South Africa.
gamma stands for variant P.1, which has been proven in Brazil.
delta refers to variant B.1.617.2, which was initially found in India.