RKI boss Wieler warns of a bad Christmas

Berlin, Dresden The President of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Lothar Wieler, has drawn a dramatic picture of the corona situation in Germany. “We are in dire straits at the moment. We will really have a very bad Christmas if we don’t take countermeasures now, ”said Wieler on Wednesday evening during an online discussion with the Saxon Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU).

The number of new infections is rising steeply, and in fact it is likely to be far higher than known: “The under-recording of the true numbers is increasing.” Behind the more than 50,000 infections that are currently registered every day, “are at least twice hidden or three times as many, ”said the RKI boss.

Most recently, 0.8 percent of the sick died. This means that of the more than 50,000 people infected each day, 400 would die in the next few weeks. “There is nothing more to be done about that.” At the federal press conference, he recently spoke more cautiously about 200 deaths per day, but the number is actually higher. Nobody can help these people, not even with the best medical care.

The situation in the hospitals is also getting worse and worse, according to Wieler. “We have never been as worried as we are now,” said the RKI boss. The number of seriously ill Covid patients is increasing, and people with a stroke and other seriously ill people have to search for a free intensive care bed for up to two hours in some places. “The supply is already no longer in accordance with the rule in all federal states.” And that will increase.

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“As you can see, the prognoses are extremely bleak. They are really dark, ”said Wieler. “There is an emergency in our country. If you don’t see that, you’re making a very big mistake. ”

Wieler: Modeled scenarios arrive

The RKI made very clear recommendations for action at an early stage and warned that the fourth wave could clearly surpass all previous ones if no “population-related measures” were taken and the vaccination rate did not increase significantly. In fact, the modeled scenarios have now arrived.

Wieler accused politics of serious errors and omissions. “We opened too quickly in too many areas,” he criticized. “Clubs and bars are hotspots, from my point of view they have to be closed.” Major events would have to be canceled. There are far too many contacts among the population, and they already know from the first corona wave that contact restrictions are effective.

At the same time, Wieler pleaded for the consistent implementation of 2G rules, i.e. access to many areas only for vaccinated and convalescent people. “We really mustn’t give those who don’t get vaccinated the chance to bypass the vaccination, for example by getting tested,” he said. In order to increase the vaccination rate, vaccination should also be carried out in pharmacies.

“I’ll be very clear: It must now be the end of the story that someone does not allow any other professional group to vaccinate due to any circumstances. We are in an emergency, ”emphasized Wieler. “Every man and mouse who can vaccinate should kindly vaccinate now. Otherwise we won’t get this crisis under control. “

Christian Drosten supports Wieler in his request for a faster vaccination rate. The virologist warned on Twitter that vaccination gaps must now be closed. “The vaccination speed is not enough,” wrote Drosten.

Wieler called on politics to finally act. “We don’t have to keep inventing something new. All of these concepts and recipes are in place, ”he said. “That is clear language, but after 21 months I simply can no longer bear the fact that it may not be recognized what I say, among other things, and also many other colleagues.”

More: 3G in buses and trains, home office compulsory, 2G regulation for leisure activities: the federal and state governments are discussing a tougher course

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