Germany’s 7-day COVID rate highest since pandemic began
BERLIN — Germany reported its second day in a row of record coronavirus incidence rates Tuesday as the country scrambles to deal with an outbreak that is starting to overload the health care system.
The Robert Koch Institute reported the number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants per week at 213.7. That compared to Monday’s figure of 201.1, which had already been a new record.
A week ago, the figure was 153.7, and it was 64.4 in the previous month. Health authorities in Germany reported 21,832 new coronavirus infections to the RKI in one day alone.
According to the new data, 169 deaths were recorded in
Germany within 24 hours, compared with 81 deaths a week ago. Since the beginning of the pandemic the RKI has counted 4,804,378 confirmed infections with Sars-cov-2. The actual total number is probably much higher, as many infections are not recognized or recorded.
The number of coronavirus patients admitted to hospitals per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days — the most important parameter for a possible tightening of corona restrictions — was given by the RKI on Monday as 3.93 (Friday: 3.91).
This indicator is sometimes reported with a delay. There is no nationwide threshold value for when this figure would indicate a critical situation because of significant regional differences in infection rates within Germany.
The RKI gave the number of those who have recovered from the virus as 4,397,600. The total number of people who died from or with a proven infection with Sarscov-2 rose to 96,727.
The boost in numbers comes as Germany struggles to find a strategy.
Leading virologist Christian Drosten said Tuesday that Germany was in an “emergency situation” and that new contact restrictions were conceivable.
“We have to do something right now,” the head of virology at Berlin’s Charite hospital said.
The “ideal goal” must be “a population completely vaccinated three times over,” but shorter-term strategies had to be devised in light of full intensive care units.
A new Yougov poll commissioned by dpa shows that a majority of respondents would like to see those who have not yet been vaccinated banned from a variety of public spaces, in the hopes that this would slow the disease’s transmission.
Thus, 31% said they wanted rules keeping those who have neither been vaccinated nor recovered from the disease out of venues such as restaurants, cinemas or concerts. A further 25% would block such people from most public venues.
However, the political will to implement such changes has been lacking. Since elections in September, Chancellor Angela Merkel has been leading a caretaker government that is worried about making major changes while a new government waits in the wings. However, coalition talks to form that new government are ongoing with no set ending date so far.