Covid-19 cases keep rising in Germany

France lifts most virus restrictions; researchers wary of recent infection rise

Germany’s coronavirus infection rate hit a record for the third straight day on Monday, with the renewed surge prompting the country’s top health official to issue a grim warning.

Covid-19 cases climbed to 1,543 per 100,000 people over seven days, continuing its steady rise since the beginning of March, according to data from the RKI public-health institute.

The outbreak shows signs of worsening and causing “many deaths,” Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said Sunday in a tweet. He urged vaccine holdouts to urgently get their covid shots.

Europe’s biggest economy started to unwind pandemic-related restrictions in mid-February after the previous peak and most remaining curbs are set to expire on Sunday. The country hasn’t seen the precipitous drop in transmission that has occurred in other countries, such as the U.K. and the U.S. and daily deaths from the virus are still around 250 to 300 people.

The rising infection numbers are due in part to the spread of the even more infectious BA.2 subvariant of the omicron strain, which now accounts for about half the covid cases in Germany, according to the RKI.

Some 2.7 million Germans aged 60 and older haven’t been vaccinated, leaving them at greater risk of becoming severely ill.

Lauterbach has said Germany is facing a critical situation even as many appear to believe that the pandemic is effectively over and are eschewing measures like social distancing and mask wearing in public places.

Despite the surge in infections, the number of covid cases in intensive care units are at less than half the peak set last year.

Meanwhile, France lifted most covid-19 restrictions on Monday, abolishing the need to wear face masks in most settings and allowing people who aren’t vaccinated back into restaurants, sports arenas and other venues.

The move had been announced earlier this month by the French government based on assessments of the improving situation in hospitals and following weeks of a steady decline in infections.

In recent days, the number of new infections has started increasing again, raising concerns from some scientists it may be too soon to lift restrictions. The number of new infections have reached more than 60,000 based on a seven-day average, up from about 50,000 a week before.

People aren’t required anymore to show proof of vaccination to enter places like restaurants and bars, cinemas, theaters, fairs and to use interregional transport. The socalled vaccine pass had taken effect at the end of January.

A restaurant owner in Paris, Laurent Negre, praised a “return to normal.”

“We got used to these restrictions and complicated protocols so we will enjoy work more now. … So it’s good news,” he said.

In hospitals and nursing homes, unvaccinated people must provide a recent negative test or proof of recent recovery to enter.

Wearing masks are no longer required in schools, businesses and offices. They remain mandatory on public transportation and at hospitals and other health facilities.

Jocelyne Muller, living near Paris, was still wearing her mask Monday in the streets of the French capital as she was just getting out of the suburban train.

“It’s a relief” to be able to remove it “even though the mask does not bother me particularly,” she said. “Now we just hope that it will bring back people in the cinemas, theaters and all artistic places.”

More than 92% of people age 12 and older are fully vaccinated in France, which has a population of 67 million.