The number of infections is falling, many corona measures are being relaxed. Nevertheless, the Federal Minister of Health warns against underestimating the pandemic. RKI boss Wieler also urges caution.
Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach believes that protective measures are still necessary even after the planned easing of corona restrictions.
“We have to be careful that we don’t think the pandemic is over,” said the SPD politician in Berlin. Even if the peak of the omicron wave has been reached, the number of cases could possibly increase again given the more contagious BA.2 subtype. The minister appealed again to all federal states that there was “no leeway at all” to accelerate the opening steps that had been decided.
According to a three-stage plan by the federal and state governments, most of the deep restrictions should fall on March 20th. The nationwide legal basis for such measures expires on March 19 – but basic protection remains possible. A new nationwide legal basis is being sought for this. Lauterbach emphasized that there must be a “substantive law” for this, and he takes a cautious position here. Regulations for possible measures are also necessary in order to react quickly to regional outbreaks.
Lauterbach expressly opposed the expectation of a “Freedom Day” with the omission of all measures. He assumes that the virus will not be impressed in any way by a “Freedom Day that we would celebrate”. So this conveyed security, which, however, did not exist.
The minister confirmed that wide openings as in other countries in this country are not a role model because of the large number of unvaccinated people over 60. “Germany has to go its own way because we have a special situation.”
Wieler: Continue to “take the corona situation really seriously”
The President of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Lothar Wieler, sees Germany on the right track in the fight against the corona pandemic, but urges caution. “We have to continue to take the situation really seriously,” said Wieler in Berlin.
The number of cases has recently fallen steadily, which is good news. Nevertheless, they remained at a very high level, according to the RKI boss. In addition, contrary to the trend in the group of older people, the number of cases and also the hospitalization incidences increased, in some cases significantly. “We are currently not seeing any decrease in deaths either. On the contrary: In the last two weeks, the numbers have even increased again, even if we remain below the level of the delta wave, »said the RKI boss.
Wieler again underlined the great benefit of vaccinations and booster vaccinations. “We’re on the right track, but we still have to take care of each other and get vaccinated for a few more weeks.” Vaccination and booster shots also help a lot against long-Covid.
With a view to the Novavax vaccine that is now available in Germany, Wieler said: “I hope that this vaccine will be an incentive for many undecided people to get vaccinated after all, and that the vaccination rate will continue to increase.”
The RKI boss pointed out that the Standing Vaccination Committee (Stiko) now recommends a second booster vaccination for people at risk – at the earliest three months after the first “booster” vaccination and with an mRNA vaccine. For employees in medical facilities and nursing homes, the second booster vaccination is recommended no earlier than six months after the first.
Source: Stern
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