Stark warning on infections rising across Germany
Germany’s health minister said Monday that the rapid rise in coronavirus cases means it’s likely everyone in the country who isn’t vaccinated will be infected by COVID-19 by the end of the winter — and some will die.
Official figures Monday showed more than 30,000 newly confirmed cases in Germany over the past 24 hours — an increase of about 50% compared with just one week ago. The country is this week expected to pass 100,000 coronavirus-related deaths since the start of the pandemic.
Hospitals warn that intensive care capacities are nearly exhausted, with some patients having to be transferred to clinics in other parts of Germany.
To reduce the risk of serious illness, Health Minister Jens Spahn urged Germans to get vaccinated, including with booster shots if their first round of inoculation occurred more than six months ago.
“By the end of this winter pretty much everyone in Germany ... will have been vaccinated, recovered or died,” Spahn said. “With the highly contagious delta variant this is very, very likely and that’s why we are recommending vaccination so urgently.”
Spahn said some 50 million doses of the Moderna and BioNtech-Pfizer vaccines will be made available for the rest of the year to allow people to get first, second or third shots, as necessary. To achieve this, Germany is holding back tens of millions of doses originally intended for poor countries. Those missing doses will be provided at a later date, he said.
Some politicians in Germany have suggested the country may need to consider compulsory vaccinations, like its neighbor Austria.
About 68% of Germany’s population of 83 million has been fully vaccinated. The German government has said it wants to push that rate above 75% to effectively curb the spread of the virus, but a sizable minority in the population has resisted calls to get the shot.
Nation strengthens virus restrictions
Greece on Monday introduced a wide range of new restrictions aimed at curbing a COVID-19 infection spike that has pushed the rate of death to nearly double the European Union average.
A government order went into effect through Dec. 6, mandating masks at all workplaces, staggering opening hours in the public and private sector, and allowing access for adults to indoor recreation and entertainment areas only to those carrying a certificate of vaccination or recent recovery.
The restricted spaces include indoor areas at bars, restaurants, movie theaters and museums.
Additional capacity limits and entry restrictions were also imposed at courts and places of worship.
About a third of the country’s population and a quarter of adults remain unvaccinated and deaths have risen rapidly since late October to reach the highest level in six months.
The measures were imposed after ICU occupancy for COVID-19 treatment exceeded 90%.
The government has ruled out a return to a general lockdown, but Health Minister Thanos Plevris said the current restrictions would be reassessed in two weeks.