The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reports 4971 new positive tests. The seven-day incidence drops to 65.8 from 66.5 the previous day. The value indicates how many people per 100,000 inhabitants have been infected with the corona virus in the past seven days. 88 other people died related to the virus. This increases the number of reported deaths within 24 hours to 94,297.
According to the Ministry of Health, federal spending on free corona citizen tests amounts to more than five billion euros. By mid-September 2021, the health fund had already billed 5.2 billion euros, reports the newspaper Rheinische Post from a communication from the ministry. (10/12/2021)
End of free trials
For the majority of citizens, the possibility of the free corona test ends in the new week. Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and the Prime Ministers had agreed that the offer of free “citizen tests” financed by the federal government since the beginning of March should end without symptoms. Since free vaccinations are possible for everyone, taxpayers no longer have to assume the test costs on a permanent basis.
But there are also some transitional rules. Children aged twelve to 17 and pregnant women can take at least one free test per week until December 31st. The reason is that a general vaccination recommendation from the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) has only recently been available – so there should be longer time for a vaccination.
They are generally free for people who cannot be vaccinated, including children under the age of twelve and children who only turned twelve in the three months before the test. It remains free, among other things, for people who need a test to end a quarantine due to a corona infection. (10/11/2021)
End of the lockdown in Sydney
The Australian metropolis of Sydney is awakening from an almost four-month lockdown. Dominic Perrottet, Premier of New South Wales (NSW), will end the measure on Monday (local time). “I see this as a day of freedom,” he tells reporters. “We’re leading the nation out of this pandemic – but it’s going to be a challenge.” Perrottet warns that the number of infections will increase after the reopening. Nearly virus-free states like Western Australia and Queensland fear that trying to live with the virus in NSW will overwhelm the health system. Queensland continues to keep its border with NSW closed.
The lockdown ended after more than 70 percent of the population received their second vaccination the previous week. Nationwide, the vaccination rate in Australia is currently just under 62 percent.
With the end of the strict lockdown, numerous restrictions will also be lifted. Among other things, fully vaccinated people are now allowed to meet in groups of up to 30 people. Hairdressers are allowed to receive customers again, but only in compliance with the distance rules, which also applies to museums, fitness studios and cinemas. (11.10.2021)
Patient advocate calls for free rapid tests in old people’s homes
Before the free Corona rapid tests were discontinued from October 11th, the German Foundation for Patient Protection demanded special regulations for old people’s and nursing homes. The federal and state governments would have to offer visitors free test options, said board member Eugen Brysch. He justified his request by stating that many of the approximately 12,000 inpatient facilities nationwide also required an up-to-date and certified negative rapid test from fully vaccinated visitors.
If many of the 20,000 or so test centers in Germany shut down, it would be difficult to obtain recognized negative evidence, especially in rural areas, said Brysch. “Sometimes 20 kilometers of travel are unreasonable for relatives,” added the patient advocate. “The chaos from last autumn must not be repeated.” At that time, visitors were prohibited from entering retirement and nursing homes because they could not show the result of a rapid test.
The facilities would have to be obliged by ordinance to offer rapid tests on site, demanded Brysch. The costs should be reimbursed to them promptly by the health insurance companies or the legislature. It must be ensured that the approximately 900,000 nursing home residents nationwide can be visited unhindered. From this Monday on, there will be no more free citizen tests after a federal and state resolution – apart from a few exceptions. These include children and people who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. (10/10/2021)
Countries are promoting vaccination for schoolchildren over the age of twelve
The Standing Conference urges adults and schoolchildren over the age of twelve to be vaccinated. “A vaccination against Corona is not a prerequisite for attending school and attending classes, but it ensures that the school will run safely in the long-term in presence form,” according to a resolution published by the ministers of education on Friday. Therefore, vaccination offers should be taken before winter.
“In the future, we can also expect a vaccination option and vaccination recommendation for younger schoolchildren,” it continues. The corona pandemic will continue for a while. However, it is essential to keep the schools open and to ensure that classroom teaching is permanent.
According to the President of the Conference of Ministers of Education (KMK), Britta Ernst (SPD), protective measures such as mask requirements and tests in schools are still necessary. “The decision is not to drop all protection concepts from one day to the next,” said the Brandenburg education minister. The Robert Koch Institute recommends holding onto the masks – unlike pediatricians. “I very much hope that at some point we will no longer need these measures.” From their point of view, this will be the case at the latest sometime in the coming year.
Even if several federal states have lifted the mask requirement, the ministers of culture only want to quarantine people infected with corona and close contact persons. This is necessary in the interest of reliable face-to-face teaching in schools, according to the KMK decision. “In order to maintain the security that has been gained for school operations, the regular tests for schoolchildren can be continued until further notice,” it continues. (08.10.2021)
Estonia and Latvia new corona high-risk areas
The federal government is classifying Estonia, Latvia and Ukraine as corona high-risk areas from Sunday. Also Brunei and Yemen then fall under this category, as the Robert Koch Institute announced on Friday. Unvaccinated people and children under the age of twelve must be in quarantine for at least five days when they return to Germany from a high-risk area. This does not apply to genesis and vaccinated persons.
At the same time, a number of states and regions are no longer classified as such: Azerbaijan, the French overseas territories of French Polynesia, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin as well as Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Colombia and, in Norway, the provinces of Oslo and Viken. This means that all quarantine rules for travelers from this region no longer apply.
Countries and regions with a particularly high risk of infection are classified as high-risk areas. But not only the infection numbers are decisive for this. Other criteria are the speed at which the virus is spreading, the burden on the health system or a lack of data on the corona situation. (08.10.2021)
Booster vaccination for people over 70 years of age and people in nursing homes
The Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) recommends a Corona booster vaccination for all people who are 70 years or older. That goes out of one Draft resolution who has now gone into the so-called comment procedure. Stiko is now advising all residents of old people’s homes as well as nursing staff and other employees who have direct contact with people in care in outpatient and inpatient care facilities to have such a booster vaccination. The same applies to staff in medical facilities with direct patient contact.
The booster vaccination should take place at the earliest six months after the completion of the basic vaccination, regardless of which vaccine was previously used – according to the recommendation of the Stiko. An mRNA vaccine will then be used for them. People who have been vaccinated once with the preparation from Johnson & Johnson will also be offered an additional mRNA vaccination dose – from four weeks after the vaccination. The background to this is that most of the infections of vaccinated persons have been observed with this vaccine.
In general, the vaccines provided effective and lasting protection, the Stiko said, but at an older age the immune response after the vaccination is generally lower and infections of those vaccinated could more often lead to a more serious course of the disease. (07.10.2021)