Germans urged to stay home as COVID infection rate spikes
BERLIN (Reuters) — Germany’s coronavirus infection rate has edged up from earlier this month and people should stay at home as much as they can despite a lockdown relaxation last week, the head of the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases said yesterday.
The virus reproduction rate, dubbed ‘R’, is now at 1.0 in Germany, said Lothar Wieler, president of the Robert Koch Institute. That means one person with the virus infects one other on average. Earlier this month, the rate was at 0.7.
Wieler urged Germans to practice rigorous social distancing despite a slight easing of restrictions on public life.
Retailers with floor space of up to 800 square meters are now allowed to open, along with car and bicycle dealers, and bookstores, though they must practice strict social distancing and hygiene rules.
German retailers sought yesterday to persuade the government to let all stores operate normally from May 4, saying customers had not stormed back into the smaller shops that were allowed to reopen and were behaving prudently.
Wieler said Germany has, compared to other countries, been successful so far in restricting the spread of the virus.
“Against the background of the easing (of restrictions), let’s ensure we can continue to defend this success we have achieved together,” he told a regular news conference. “We don’t want the number of cases to rise again.”
“Let’s, insofar as is possible, stay at home, let’s stick to the reduced contact.”