Virologist already sees “a broad wave well into the summer” coming to Germany

In Germany, the planned easing of the coronavirus pandemic will come into focus before March 20th. The incidence continues to rise. The news ticker.

Corona in Germany: Biontech’s new Omicron vaccine from late April or early May

Update from March 15, 5:50 p.m .: Biontech’s corona vaccine adapted to the Omicron variant is making further progress. According to the company, clinical studies and production are still going according to plan. It will take some time before the first vaccine can be administered – this is due to the requirements of the EMA.

Among other things, the EMA requested clinical study data that will be available at the end of April or the beginning of May. “We are still in close contact with the drug authorities in order to be able to deliver the first doses immediately after approval.” Earlier delivery would be logistically possible: “We have prepared to be able to deliver the adapted vaccine from the end of March. We can implement this logistically,” said a Biontech spokeswoman on Tuesday. However, all the requirements of the European Medicines Agency EMA, for example, would also have to be met. “The timing for approval and thus extradition changes accordingly,” said the spokeswoman.

The obligation to wear a mask is being expanded

Update from March 15, 4:08 p.m .: The future mask requirement should be expanded. The traffic light coalition agreed on this one day before the Bundestag deliberations on the new Infection Protection Act. It should therefore also be possible to arrange it in medical practices and rescue services, as the AFP news agency learned in Berlin on Tuesday. In the previous design, it was already intended for hospitals, nursing homes and public transport. The Bundestag will discuss the new law in its first reading on Wednesday.

Corona in Germany: hospitalization incidence is increasing

Update from March 15, 3:26 p.m .: According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the hospitalization incidence in Germany is 7.21 on Tuesday. Accordingly, 2,070 hospitalizations related to Covid-19 were transmitted.

Laboratories post record positive PCR tests

Update from March 15, 2:52 p.m .: After weeks of declining trend, many laboratories in Germany are again recording a significant increase in PCR tests. Around 2.17 million such examinations were requested from March 7th to 13th, almost a quarter (23 percent) more than in the week before, reported the Association of Accredited Laboratories in Medicine (ALM). According to the evaluation, the proportion of positive results – the so-called positive rate – has risen further to almost 54 percent – a record. “This is always an indication that there is a certain, a higher degree of under-recording,” said the association’s chairman, Michael Müller.

Update from March 15, 12:56 p.m .: Health Minister Karl Lauterbach spoke out in favor of not letting the corona measures expire on March 20, but called on the countries to use the transition period until April 2nd. In addition to Bavaria, which is making use of the transitional rule, Baden-Württemberg will also use the transitional period until April 2nd. This was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Thomas Strobl (CDU) on Tuesday in Stuttgart. This applies above all to the obligation to wear masks indoors and in schools.

Corona in Germany: Virologist already sees “a broad wave well into the summer”

Update from March 15, 11:10 a.m .: The opinions on the upcoming corona easing also differ among the experts. “You have to be sober and see that the incidences are no longer falling, but rather increasing,” said the Freiburg virologist Hartmut Hengel to the Südkurier . If the omicron subtype BA.2 spreads further, one has to fear that the numbers will continue to rise.

The federal government is only planning with corona hotspots as an exception, although “a broad wave well into the summer” seems possible, said Hengel. “How do you define hotspots there?” According to the head of virology at the University Hospital Freiburg, he lacks long-term thinking. “The pandemic is not over, we are more in the middle of it. We should be careful, otherwise we will fall victim to our wishful thinking again.”

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Corona loosening: Virologists disagree – Gassen demands implementation

The virologist Thomas Schulz from the Hannover Medical School, on the other hand, is not critical of the planned easing. “In my view, the only measure that should be retained is the obligation to wear a mask,” he told the Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung . “It should continue to be available not only on buses and trains, but also in shops. It does offer good protection against infection. It would also make sense in schools.”

Update from March 15, 9:15 a.m .: The head of the statutory health insurance physicians, Andreas Gassen, calls for the planned easing to be implemented on March 20, despite the high number of corona. “Citizens must be able to rely on the promises made by politicians,” he told the Rheinische Post . Gassen made it clear: “As a society, we must finally learn to live with Corona without politicians repeatedly shutting down public life every few months.”

Corona in Germany: RKI reports incidence record again

Update from March 15, 6:27 a.m .: The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has again reported a maximum value for the nationwide seven-day incidence. The RKI gave the value on Tuesday morning as 1585.4. The previous day the value was 1543.0. A week ago, the nationwide incidence was 1293.6 (previous month: 1437.5).

The health authorities in Germany reported 198,888 new corona infections to the RKI within one day. Compared to the previous day, that was a good 100,000 more new infections (Monday: 92,378 new infections). This increase is due, among other things, to the fact that fewer tests are carried out at the weekend and the health authorities do not report any case numbers at the weekend. On Tuesday a week ago there were 156,799 new corona infections.

Corona in Germany: criticism of Lauterbach’s corona policy is growing

Update from March 14, 10:45 p.m .: Shortly before the current Infection Protection Act expires, criticism of the traffic light federal government and Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) regarding corona policy is growing.

“The position of the Federal Minister of Health is deeply contradictory,” said the head of the Patient Protection Foundation, Eugen Brysch, the editorial network Germany (RND) : “If the law is passed as it was introduced by the Federal Cabinet, it will do all the work of the last two years obsolete.”

To classify: Most of the nationwide corona rules are to be omitted by March 20th. There was also criticism of this from the ranks of the traffic light alliance. The Green health politician Janosch Dahmen even wants to advocate a change in the government draft. “I am very much in favor of adapting the draft law to reform the Infection Protection Act again and maintaining the obligation to wear masks indoors as a basic protective measure,” Dahmen told RND .

Corona pandemic in Germany: NRW Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) in quarantine in Israel

Update from March 14, 10:05 p.m .: North Rhine-Westphalia’s Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) must first remain in quarantine in Israel because of positive corona tests. A second PCR test in Jerusalem was also positive today, the Düsseldorf State Chancellery announced in the evening.

Update from March 14, 9:50 p.m .: The corona numbers are high in Germany, also in relation to the infections in China. Nevertheless, several large cities have to go into lockdown there. Among them is the metropolis of Shenzhen. While in Germany the current Infection Protection Act expires on March 19th.

Update from March 14, 9.40 p.m .: Is there a corona vaccination requirement in Germany? Karl Lauterbach (SPD) recently appealed to the Union – but shows the minister the cold shoulder at the request of Merkur.de* .

Corona pandemic in Germany: high number of infections in the Federal Republic

First report from March 14th: Munich – Corona does not stop. Germany looks spellbound at the Ukraine war*, while there is still the coronavirus pandemic at the same time – and the numbers in the Federal Republic remain high.

Specifically: The seven-day incidence reached a provisional high of 1543 this Monday (March 14). Within 24 hours, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) from Berlin registered 92,378 new infections within 24 hours. In response to this, Berlin, for example, with its approximately 3.7 million inhabitants, announced that it would extend the current corona rules in its state * beyond March 20th.

Corona pandemic in Germany: discussions about the home office

There are already discussions nationwide about a corona regulation. This is how the home office becomes a controversial topic. Employer President Rainer Dulger criticized it as superfluous that the Ministry of Labor wanted to anchor the home office again in part through the back door in the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance. The draft regulation contains the information that there is no legal obligation to work from home, but that employers have the option of offering their employees home work.

The draft of a Corona Ordinance by the Federal Ministry of Labor provides that employers should in future assess the risk of the virus themselves and define appropriate measures in a company hygiene concept. The ordinance is expected to be passed in the Federal Cabinet on Wednesday. Anja Piel from the board of directors of the German Federation of Trade Unions warned this Monday: “It takes courageous action to combat the high rate of infection. Friendly announcements are of little use.”

Corona pandemic in Germany: the most important news in the ticker

Follow the most important developments regarding the corona pandemic in Germany here in the news ticker. (pm) * Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA

Header list image: © Oliver Berg