A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) swab is tested on a motorist at the Drive Through Coronavirus Testing Center at Talavera Car Park in Wર્rzburg, Germany. On Monday, August 31, 2020.
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Germany has issued a stern warning about the spread of the coronavirus, with top health officials sounding the alarm about a more potential outbreak in the country.
“The current situation worries me a lot. Lothar Weiler, head of the Robert Koch Institute for Infectious Diseases (RKI), said Thursday morning, ‘We don’t know how things will develop in the next few weeks.’
“It is possible that we will see more than 10,000 new cases a day. It is possible that the virus spreads uncontrollably,” he said in a comment translated by Reuters. He added that 8% of the cases currently seen in Germany are imported from foreign countries.
Wyler was speaking at a press conference with German Health Minister Jens Spahan, who said that despite the alarming growth in the case, the situation at the beginning of the year was worrying but not as bad.
Germany is seen as a poster-child for the response to an early coronavirus outbreak, having previously implemented a vigorous testing regime, as well as effectively tracking and tracing cases. This modern healthcare structure has helped keep deaths relatively low.
According to Johns Hopkins University, 3,111,303 cases have been reported in Germany, and the virus first appeared in Europe in February, the same number as in Italy, with fewer deaths, still below 10,000. Recent weeks have seen an increase in the number of new daily infections.
On Thursday, it reported 4,058 new cases with special hotspots in the urban centers of Berlin, Munich and Hamburg. To curb the spread, Germany has moved to increase restrictions in such areas by imposing curfews on hospitality venues such as bars and rest hospital rent.
Viller warned against complacency, however, saying that while Germany “passed better than summer”, that doesn’t mean the epidemic situation isn’t dangerous.
“Some claim that this shows that the virus is not ultimately dangerous – that’s a lie. It’s not that many people died because we took action and kept them,” RKI tweeted, quoting Wheeler.
The RKI on Wednesday updated its risk assessment of the situation in Germany and worldwide, saying it was “a very dynamic and serious situation.”
“The number of cases worldwide continues to rise. The number of newly filed cases in Germany fell from mid-March to early July. Since the end of July, significantly more cases have been re-infected, many of them related to early travel. After the end of August (Week 35) , More transmissions have been seen in Germany, ”RKI noted.
“Currently Germany is witnessing a steady increase in population transitions. Mobility is increasing in almost all regions,” he said, adding that the outbreak was especially associated with celebrations with family and friends, group events and the elderly and nursing. Houses.
RKI rates the health risk of the German population as “high,” and “very high,” especially for risk groups.
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