Germany talks about “terrible Christmas”. Politicians are proposing mass transportation only with vaccinations and sentences up to 5 years in prison – Startitup

Lothar Wieler, head of the German Institute Roberta Kocha, which acts as the national center for disease control and prevention, has warned that the country is in danger of a “really terrible Christmas” if it does not take steps to curb the sharp rise in coronavirus infections.

The institute reported 65,371 new confirmed diseases in one day on Thursday. “We are heading for a serious emergency,“Said the director of the institute. “We’ll have a really terrible Christmas if we don’t take countermeasures now,He added.

Only those who have survived the disease will be free

Wieler said Germany needed to significantly increase its vaccination rate against COVID-19 above 75 percent from the current level of 67.7 percent. In some regions of Germany, the vaccination rate of the population is only 57.6 percent.

Wieler also called for the closure of clubs and bars and the end of mass events. According to him, access to several areas of public life should be limited to people who have been vaccinated or who have overcome COVID-19.

The seven-day incidence, ie the number of cases per 100,000 inhabitants per week, is 336.9, which is an increase compared to 249.1 cases a week ago and also compared to 74.4 cases a month ago.

Problem region

The Saxony region is particularly problematic. Saxony currently has the highest rate of infections in all of Germany, with a seven-day incidence of 742.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

“If we can stop this wave, it will certainly not only happen by reaching out to unvaccinated people,Kretschmer said.

This information comes at a time when parliament is about to discuss the crisis. The new coalition partners – the Social Democrats, the Greens and the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) – who emerged from the September elections want new anti-pandemic restrictions.

Among other things, passengers on buses and trains should present proof of vaccination, overcoming COVID-19 or a fresh test. They also want to impose severe sentences of up to five years in prison for counterfeiters of coronavirus certificates.

source: TASR / Friso Gentsch / dpa

Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to hold talks with the prime ministers of 16 federal states on Thursday. They are trying to reach a unified approach to anti-anti-crime rules and restrictions, as there are currently different strategies in Germany.

German officials are trying to increase the vaccination rate of the population, which is now around 68 percent.

Sources: TASR, SITA