In his New Year’s address, Steinmeier builds on solidarity in society.
(Photo: Reuters)
Berlin In view of the rapid spread of the Omikron variant, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (both SPD) have again called for caution over the holidays. The proportion of Omikron cases will “increase VERY sharply in the next few days,” wrote Lauterbach on Twitter on Friday. “Please avoid / avoid contagion at the party. Even vaccinated people should test themselves ”.
Scholz wrote on Twitter: “Once again at Christmas it’s time to reduce contacts. I know this is particularly difficult right now. But if we stand together and get vaccinated, we can get through this crisis. “
The Omikron variant has now arrived in all federal states. Even if the majority of infections are still caused by the delta variant of the coronavirus, the number of detected omicron cases has increased significantly in recent weeks, as the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) wrote in its weekly report.
RKI President Lothar Wieler told the editorial network Germany (Friday): “The outbreaks at Omikron are impressive. Very many people who are in a room with an infected person can become infected. A great many also get sick. ”This is a different dimension than what Delta is familiar with. Delta has been the predominant coronavirus variant in Germany for months.
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According to the RKI, 441 Omicron infections confirmed by genome sequencing were transmitted by December 21. According to a specific PCR test, it is suspected in 1438 cases. In Germany, however, only a small part of the positive samples are tested for Omikron.
As emerged from the RKI data from Friday morning, the health authorities in Germany reported 35,431 new corona infections to the institute within one day. The nationwide seven-day incidence fell again compared to the previous day. The RKI gave the value of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants and week at 265.8 – the day before it was 280.3.
The health minister had a difference of opinion in the federal press conference about the demand for a lockdown of the RKI boss Lothar Wieler.
(Photo: AP)
In view of the strain on society as a result of the ongoing crisis, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called for solidarity in his Christmas address.
Lauterbach thanked all healthcare workers for their work. “We are deeply indebted to you,” said the SPD politician in a video message in which he addressed the employees directly.
“As dramatic as the situation was last year in the care facilities in particular, we had the hope that the vaccination campaign in the course of the year would help us get out of the pandemic. Unfortunately that didn’t happen. ”The vaccination gaps are still far too big.
On the day before Christmas Eve, 710,000 vaccinations were administered in Germany, according to the RKI, of which 561,000 were so-called booster vaccinations to refresh the vaccination protection (as of Friday / 10.16 a.m.). At least 58.9 million people have been vaccinated twice or have received a single vaccination from Johnson & Johnson. That is 70.8 percent of the total population.
In Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, stricter corona rules came into force on Friday. Private get-togethers there are already limited to those who have been vaccinated and recovered at Christmas, to a maximum of ten people. The federal and state governments agreed on Tuesday to introduce this requirement by December 28th at the latest – most of the federal states want to implement this after Christmas.
Boosters should also help with Omikron
On the Omikron variant, the RKI wrote in its weekly report published on Thursday evening: “Previous reporting data on symptoms indicate a rather mild course in infected people with a full vaccination or booster vaccination.”
However, experts have always emphasized that with the expected high number of infected people in the course of the rapid spread of the omicron, a large number of people will become more seriously ill at the same time and have to be treated in hospital.
In an interview with the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” (Friday), the virologist Christian Drosten said when asked whether a lockdown was needed in Germany, it was necessary to wait and see “whether and how the measures that were now in force and were followed up again would work”.
If the contact restrictions do not work as hoped, one could consider restrictions to which only already boosted people have access – what he referred to as “1G”.
Twice vaccinated people are protected from severe courses even with Omikron, “but practically not against infection,” said the virologist at the Berlin Charité. Virus transmission in the event of infection is also hardly reduced.
“But those who have recently been boosted are likely to contribute less to the spread and are noticeably protected against the disease. At Delta, 2G and 3G may be enough, but now Omikron is writing the rules. “
More: Federal government orders 80 million doses of Omicron vaccine from Biontech