Corona in Germany: Expert predicts incidence below ten for the summer – children's vaccine approved

The corona numbers are going down. An expert expects the incidence situation to be significantly more relaxed in summer – despite the renewed increase in new infections. The news ticker.

Update from May 31, 9:07 p.m.: In May, the daily new infections with the corona virus decreased rapidly. The RKI reported only 1978 new cases on Monday morning (May 31). An impressive trend that could weaken again in the coming weeks, says at least Prof. Dr. Christian Hesse from the University of Stuttgart. Due to the easing, the statistician assumes that the decline in new infections every day could level off.

“Loosening always means an increase in contacts and an increase in contacts inevitably leads to a larger number of new infections,” the statistician told bild.de. However, this is not a cause for concern for the scientist. Like other experts, Hesse expects a good summer due to the increasing number of vaccinations. “In general, however, we can expect incidences of 10 or less in the summer,” the statistician predicts. An incidence permanently below ten would be tantamount to a no-covid scenario that many sides repeatedly called for in winter.

Corona in Germany: Children are allowed to make vaccination appointments in certain federal states – emergency brake before the end

Update from May 31, 2021, 6 p.m.: It is a message that should give hope to many parents and children in the European Union. The EU Commission approved the vaccine from Biontech / Pfizer on Monday afternoon for children and adolescents from the age of twelve. This makes it the first vaccine approved for children in the EU.

Update from May 31, 2021, 5 p.m.: The corona situation in Germany continues to ease. A lot of easing is possible due to falling seven-day incidences in the federal states.

Corona in Germany: Many federal states are allowing students to return to face-to-face classes

More and more federal states are returning to regular school operations. This also includes North Rhine-Westphalia. On Monday, the schools there began to teach face-to-face across the board. The prerequisite is that the number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants is below 100 within seven days. This was the case in all municipalities on Friday. The mask and test requirement still applies. Countries such as Lower Saxony, Saarland and Hamburg also largely returned to normal operations with entire classes at the beginning of the week. After the Whitsun holidays at the beginning of June, there will be further easing in the case of an incidence below 50, including in Bavarian schools.

In Hesse, if the value is below 50, the state’s second opening level applies: Then more people can meet again in private. The indoor gastronomy can also receive guests inside – subject to certain conditions. Schoolchildren of all grades can go back to face-to-face classes – including the corona test. In Baden-Württemberg, outdoor and indoor restaurants are allowed to reopen between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. with hygiene requirements and test concepts.

In Berlin, the Senate will discuss further easing on Tuesday. According to a Business Insider report, there will be more easing from June 4th than initially planned. Among other things, private contacts as well as indoor and outdoor catering are said to be affected.

Corona in Germany: Federal states relax contact restrictions

The contact restrictions in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania will be relaxed from June 1st. Then ten people from a maximum of five households are allowed to meet – children up to 14 years and those who are fully vaccinated are not counted. Ten people from a maximum of three households are allowed to meet in Lower Saxony. The prerequisite is a stable seven-day incidence of less than 50. The restaurants there open inside and out. If the incidence is below 50, the test is not required. Saxony allows meetings of ten people regardless of the incidence.

Thuringia was the last federal state to fall below the critical limit of 50. Retail is allowed to open fully with testing and contact tracing. Outdoor catering as well as overnight stays in holiday homes and apartments as well as campsites are possible again.

Corona in Germany: Children are allowed to make vaccination appointments in Saxony

Update from May 31, 2021, 3:40 p.m.: Children from the age of 14 can apply for a vaccination appointment in Saxony from this week. This was announced by Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) in Dresden on Monday. The young people could therefore make their own appointment in some vaccination centers.

With the approval of the vaccine, it is possible that children and adolescents can now be vaccinated if they want to, said Kretschmer. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) gave the green light on Friday for the EU approval of the Biontech preparation for children aged 12 to 15 years. However, formal approval by the EU Commission was still pending. On Thursday, the federal and state governments decided at the vaccination summit that children from 12 to 15 years of age can be vaccinated in Germany.

Corona in Germany: Federal emergency brake is expected to expire at the end of June

Update from May 31, 2021, 1:45 p.m.: The so-called federal emergency brake is expected to expire at the end of June, as provided for in the law. “If the very positive development in the number of infections over the last few weeks continues, which we all hope for, then from today’s perspective the tendency is to use this emergency brake on June 30th. to run out, “said government spokesman Steffen Seibert on Monday in Berlin. But that depends on the pandemic development.

With the emergency brake passed in April, uniform nationwide corona regulations were written in the Infection Protection Act, which apply at district level if the corona infection numbers exceed certain values. These include night exit restrictions, contact restrictions, restrictions on sports, leisure and trade, or school closings. The restrictions may only be lifted again if the threshold values are not reached for several days.

The nationwide rules were, however, limited to June 30th in the Infection Protection Act. If there was another sharp rise in the corona numbers afterwards, the countries would again be responsible for how strict their measures were.

Corona in Germany: Expert warns – rapid tests and self-tests in summer are prone to false results

Update from May 31, 2021, 1 p.m.: The corona incidences are falling, fewer and fewer people are currently infected with the corona virus. The corona quick tests and the corona self-tests also play their part, after all, this way, presumably undetected corona infections can still be detected. However, according to a Charité virologist, the informative value of the two tests can be affected relatively easily by high temperatures and temperature fluctuations.

It is important that not only users, but also sellers and providers of such tests, strictly adhere to the storage temperature specified in the package insert and are aware of the restrictions, said Jan Felix Drexler
from the Institute for Virology of the Berlin University Clinic of the German Press Agency on Monday. “It mustn’t get too hot.
Self-tests should not be placed directly at the window in the sun or carried around in your trouser pocket in summer. ”Storing tests in the refrigerator and then using them in the heat could also falsify the result.

As a rule, manufacturers recommend storage between 5 and 30 degrees and application at room temperature, usually between 15 and 30 degrees, as Drexler said. According to data that the professor and colleagues published in the “Journal of Clinical Virology”, however, lower or higher temperatures are sufficient for a short time – and some of the tests examined show a false result. Both the so-called sensitivity and the specificity of such tests can therefore be impaired. This means that infected people can incorrectly receive a negative result – and healthy people, conversely, a positive one. Drexler explained that condensation, for example, can be a reason for the adulteration.

“You should always read the package insert and do the test as thoroughly as possible. And be aware that something can have gone wrong along the entire chain from manufacturer to transport to delivery. ”As an example, he cited trucks that are stuck in traffic jams in the sun. In addition, the quick test results are only a snapshot. “You can be negative in the morning and infectious in the evening.”

RKI: Germany is approaching the 50 million mark for vaccinations

Update from May 31, 11.50 a.m.: The number of corona vaccinations administered is approaching the 50 million mark. According to the Robert Koch Institute on Monday, 49.9 million vaccinations had been administered on Sunday since the start of the vaccination campaign. 270,927 people received an injection on Sunday. 14.6 million are now fully vaccinated.

According to the information, a total of 35,755,407 people (43 percent) received at least one vaccine dose. “It is progressing: From next week, the company doctors will also vaccinate nationwide for the first time,” said Health Minister Jens Spahn on Twitter.

Update from May 31, 11:10 a.m.: In view of the suspicion of billing fraud at Corona test centers, the federal and state health ministers are planning stricter requirements. For this purpose, new regulations in the test regulation are being sought in the short term, as the German Press Agency learned from participants on Monday after consultations with the heads of department.

The aim is to consult with the municipal umbrella organizations on how fraud can be made more difficult. Starting points should therefore be, for example, that material costs for the number of test kits are compared by the statutory health insurance associations with the billed tests. The test centers could have to provide the statutory health insurance associations with their tax identification number, so that tax authorities can compare invoiced tests with specified sales. Centers may be required to provide written confirmation from the health department that they are performing tests properly.

As the group of participants also said, it was also emphasized that it was possible to quickly set up a functioning test infrastructure with many reputable providers. Test centers have already been checked and some have been closed. However, abuse of the test offer is unacceptable.

“Wrong Corona Incidence Numbers” in Germany? Quarrel about foreign armed forces breaks out

Update from May 31, 9.45 a.m.:The corona numbers are falling and the daily calculated incidence also ensures relaxation in many places. The number of infected people per 100,000 inhabitants is particularly relevant for the relaxation of the measures. However, some municipalities in Rhineland-Palatinate feel disadvantaged by the calculation of the incidence values. For example, foreign armed forces would be counted when infections are determined – but not in the population. The result: the incidence calculations by the Robert Koch Institute are often comparatively higher. Local politicians want to talk to Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn about it this Tuesday.

The district of Birkenfeld is demanding that the federal government correct the “incorrect corona incidence figures”. Also the district
Kaiserslautern wants the foreign armed forces stationed there recognized when calculating the corona incidence.
The region in the West Palatinate is characterized by the US military base Ramstein with thousands of soldiers, relatives and civilian employees. Experts believe it is possible that around 40,000 people are not counted.

At the RKI, all members of the US armed forces who are sick with Covid-19 and who live in the district are included in the calculation. Due to the NATO troop statute, however, they are not required to be reported and are therefore not taken into account when the population figures are updated.

In the case of the state government made up of the SPD, Greens and FDP, the intervention achieved partial success by showing it in its corona statistics
opened a column that counts at least the 2,702 US residents eligible for financial adjustment. In addition, Mainz granted the districts a margin of discretion if the infection process could be limited. “On the other hand, only the information from the RKI applies to the federal emergency brake, which continues to evaluate the infected Americans, but not the healthy ones,” said a district spokesman.

Corona in Germany: Federal Health Minister Spahn refers to the dynamics of vaccinations

Update from May 31, 9:30 a.m .: Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn expects that “around 90 percent” of adults willing to vaccinate in Germany will receive a vaccination against the coronavirus by mid-July. He said that on Sunday evening on the ARD talk show “Anne Will”. He goes from a willingness to vaccinate “70 to 75 percent” of the adults. Spahn also referred to the dynamism of vaccinations in Germany – if only twelve percent of citizens were vaccinated at Easter, that’s the number
rose to almost 40 percent by Pentecost. Most recently, according to the Robert Koch Institute, the vaccination rate was 42.2 percent,
Accordingly, 17.1 percent were fully vaccinated.

Corona in Germany: Robert Koch Institute publishes current figures

Update from May 31, 6.25 a.m.: The corona situation in Germany continues to relax, the Robert Koch Institute also reports falling infection numbers on Monday. Accordingly, the health authorities in Germany reported new corona infections to the RKI within one day in 1978. For comparison: a week ago the value was 2682 infections. The RKI gave the seven-day incidence on Monday morning as nationwide 35.1 (previous day: 35.2; previous week: 62.5). Germany is thus scratching the incidence of 35 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants, which is important for further easing and measures.

And the number of deaths is also falling, on Monday the RKI reports 36 people nationwide who have died from or with the corona virus. A week ago there were 43 dead.

According to the RKI situation report, the nationwide seven-day R-value was 0.75 on Sunday afternoon (previous day: 0.75). This means that 100 infected people theoretically infect 75 more people. The R-value represents the occurrence of the infection 8 to 16 days ago. If it is below 1 for a longer period of time, the infection process subsides; if it is consistently higher, the number of cases increases.

Corona in Germany: Suspected cases of billing fraud – Now it is being investigated

Update from May 30, 10:44 p.m .: There are hardly any controls in private corona test centers. Suspected cases of billing fraud at rapid test centers became known over the weekend. The authorities are investigating. The federal and state health ministers want to advise on suspected fraud at the corona test sites on Monday. According to a spokesman for Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn, a switching conference is scheduled for 8 a.m.

Corona outbreak in old people’s homes – 40 infected

Update from May 30th, 8:00 p.m .: The corona virus has broken out in two old people’s homes in Wilhelmshaven (Lower Saxony). The city of Wilhelmshaven announced on Sunday that infections had been detected in a total of 40 residents and employees of both facilities. After corona cases were found in the facilities, all residents and employees were tested as a precaution. Visiting and access rules have been tightened, those affected are under quarantine. So far, the affected residents have had no symptoms or show a mild course of disease.

According to the city of Wilhelmshaven, the corona outbreaks caused the incidence value to rise above the 35 mark to 39.4 for the first time after two weeks. If the value does not fall below 35 again in the coming days, the city will have to reverse some corona easing.

Update from May 30, 7:58 p.m .: The number of Covid 19 patients in intensive care units is currently 2,511. According to the DIVI intensive care register, there are fewer corona patients than there have been since the beginning of November.

Corona in Germany: Back to the classroom – it is said in NRW

Update from May 30, 7:24 p.m.: Lower corona numbers make it possible: In North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), schools are resuming classroom teaching in full class. Lower Saxony, Saarland and Hamburg say goodbye, as the news agency dpa reports, to alternating and distance learning.

In Brandenburg this initially only applies to elementary schools. The only exception is the city of Brandenburg / Havel, where the numbers are still too high. The secondary schools should also follow in a week. The mask and test requirement still applies. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the state with the lowest incidence nationwide, the students returned to class last Thursday for face-to-face lessons.

Corona in Germany: Incidence continues to decrease – red spots on the map are disappearing

First report from May 30, 2021

Munich – The number of corona cases on this Sunday is once again comparatively pleasing: Experience has shown that the numbers on Sunday are lower than during the week anyway – but compared to the previous week, the number of new corona infections has almost halved. On this Sunday, the Robert Koch Institute * (RKI) reports 3,852 corona cases within 24 hours (Sunday a week ago: 6714). 56 more deaths were recorded (previous week: 82 deaths).

According to the management report from Sunday afternoon, the RKI estimates the 7-day R-value * to be 0.75 (previous day: 0.75). The R-value reflects the occurrence of the infection 8 to 16 days ago. The current value means that 100 infected people theoretically infect 75 more people. If the R-value is below 1 for a longer period of time, the infection rate subsides; if it is consistently higher, the number of cases increases.

Corona in Germany: Thuringia under 50

According to the RKI, the 7-day incidence across Germany is 35.2. Particularly gratifying: Thuringia is below the 50 mark for the first time. The federal state was the last to fall below this value. There are fewer and fewer red and dark red spots to be seen on the Covid-19 dashboard. However, there are immense differences in the Corona * infection process in the regions:

Further easing is possible depending on the federal state if the 7-day incidence is stable below the 35 value *.

Corona in Germany – incidence values in the federal states

(ml) * Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA