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A day before the national shutdown takes effect, Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn and Robert Koch Institute President Lothar Wieler comment on the “Corona situation before Christmas” in Berlin. Also participating in the press conference are the president of the German Ethics Council, Alena Buyx, and the virologist Sandra Ciesek.
“We have managed to break the wave of infections,” but the number of infections, particularly the number of deaths, is still too high, Spahn said, defending the federal and state government’s decision to close until January 10.
Do your best to get a vaccine approved as soon as possible, Spahn said. “We are not doing an emergency approval, but a proper approval.” It’s also about gaining and maintaining confidence in the vaccine. Spahn announced that he wanted to continue down the European path, not the national one. The European Medicines Agency is responsible for approval. The goal is to get approved before Christmas. We want to start vaccinating before the turn of the year.
The free distribution of FFP2 masks to around 27 million citizens in Germany from corona risk groups will also start on Tuesday.
New corona infections still at a high level
The number of deaths and new infections from coronavirus remains at a high level. The German health authorities have sent 14,432 new cases and 500 deaths in one day to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), as the RKI announced this Tuesday morning. As RKI chief Wieler said at the press conference, these values do not include current data for Saxony. These would be added tomorrow.
On Tuesday of the previous week, 14,054 new infections and 423 deaths were reported. The highs of 29,875 reported cases and 598 deaths were reached on Friday. Tuesday’s 500 deaths mark the third highest number since the pandemic began.
The trend in the number of daily deaths had recently increased, which was also expected after the sharp increase in new infections. The total number of people who died with or with a proven Sars-CoV-2 infection rose to 22,475. The 7-day incidence, which is critical to assess the situation, new infections reported per 100,000 population in 7 days decreased. slightly back. It peaked at 176.4 on Monday. On Tuesday that number fell to 173.7.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the RKI has counted 1,351,510 infections detected with Sars-CoV-2 in Germany (as of December 15, 00:00). Around 1,003,300 people are estimated to have recovered. The seven-day R-value nationwide was 1.06 based on Monday’s RKI management report (previous day: 1.12). This means that, in theory, 100 infected people infect 106 more people. The value represents the onset of the infection 8 to 16 days ago. Only when it is below 1 for a longer period does it decrease.
Altmaier for coupons instead of shopping adventures
Federal Economy Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU) asks citizens to refrain from buying Christmas gifts on Monday and Tuesday due to the risk of infection. “I wish and hope that people only get what they really need in terms of food,” Altmaier told the newspaper. image. This is not the time for “shopping adventures”, vouchers are the best solution. No one can say when the stores will reopen after Christmas. “The sooner we control these infections, the better it will be for everyone.”
Despite Wednesday’s tough lockdown, Altmaier doesn’t expect the economy to collapse like it did in the spring. “I am relatively confident that we will not experience a recession like the one we saw in the spring of this year,” the CDU politician told Deutschlandfunk on Monday. “It is possible, if we act wisely, to preserve the economic substance of the country once again.” This included relief measures, but also that the restrictions would not have to be extended over and over again. In hindsight, politicians were too disheartened by the less harsh measures of recent weeks in the fight against the corona virus.
The leader of the green parliamentary group Anton Hofreiter called for a step-by-step plan for the period after January 10 after federal and state resolutions on the shutdown. “For the next few months, we need well-planned action and a long-term perspective,” Hofreiter told the newspaper. Rheinische Mail. He hopes that a law will be passed in January with a nationwide binding phased plan, which would make it clear when and where the measures will be applied. The Greens would support the decisions. “We support the now planned total closure. The alternative would have been a total loss of control and many more deaths.”
Steinmeier: “It is up to us, and we know what to do”
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier defended the stricter lockdown Monday. “The situation is extremely serious,” the federal president said in a statement about the new restrictions. “As of Wednesday, our public and private life will be restricted more than ever in the history of the Federal Republic.” But decisive action is necessary due to the large number of corona infections.
He called on citizens to radically limit contacts to contain infections. “Our efforts to date in fighting the pandemic are insufficient,” he said. “It’s up to us, and we know what to do.”
