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The number of corona cases in Germany has passed the million mark. While the number of new infections recorded remains relatively stable, the Robert Koch Institute reports a new record for deaths.
In Germany, the number of new corona infections detected to date has exceeded one million. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), health authorities reported 22,806 new infections in one day, a decrease of 842 cases compared to Friday a week ago. The total number of corona cases is now 1,006,394. However, the RKI assumes that many infections go unnoticed because many infected people show no symptoms or only have minor symptoms.
The RKI gave the number of deaths related to the corona virus at 426, the highest value since the start of the pandemic. The health authorities reported the last high value last Wednesday with 410 cases. The RKI estimates that around 696,100 people have recovered.
According to the management report on Thursday night, the so-called seven-day R-value was 0.90 (previous day: 0.87). This means that 100 infected people infect 90 more people. The value represents the onset of the infection eight to 16 days ago. If the value is below 1 for a long time, the infection rate decreases.
20 percent of intensive care beds are not yet occupied
Furthermore, the situation in hospitals is getting worse. According to the RKI, the number of corona patients treated in intensive care increased dramatically from 655 to 3,395 from October 15 to November 15. Since then, the rise has slowed somewhat and, according to the RKI, was the last in 3,826 patients, 60 percent of whom were ventilated. Consequently, 20 percent of intensive care beds are not yet occupied.
Contrary to what was expected, the partial closure that has been in force since the beginning of November with closures of bars and restaurants, for example, has not caused a significant decrease in infections. The so-called 7-day incidence, that is, the number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants per week, has fluctuated around 140 throughout the country for more than two weeks.
To reduce these numbers, the federal and state governments decided on Wednesday to extend the partial lockdown until shortly before Christmas, with some stricter rules. Private gatherings with friends, relatives, and acquaintances should be limited to a maximum of five people from your own household and another household. Christmas should be able to be celebrated, however, in the closest family and friends with a maximum of ten people. Children up to 14 years are not included.
Chancellor Braun calls for common sense
Despite the relaxation around Christmas, people must continue to act responsibly, the head of the Chancellery, Helge Braun, appealed to citizens. As a “celebration of privacy,” Christmas is a “certain unknown” in risk assessment, Chancellor Helge Braun said Thursday night on ZDF’s “Maybrit Illner” show. “Whether we prepare for Christmas in such a way and live with families in such a way that it becomes a contagion problem, or we achieve the exact opposite, we really do have it in our own hands,” says Braun.
Reducing contacts to an “absolute minimum” is a prerequisite for being able to safely reunite with family members, Braun said. “Nobody wants to infect their loved ones and relatives.” Therefore, it depends a lot on everyone’s behavior in the week before Christmas.
Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn also called on citizens to take responsibility. “Ultimately, we cannot enforce what is necessary in this pandemic with state rules alone,” Spahn said Thursday night. ARD- “Extra”. People should take care of each other and perhaps celebrate Christmas on a smaller scale than usual.
