Covid today Germany, “national emergency, stay home”

“This is a national emergency, all of Germany is one big outbreak, we have to pull the emergency brake.” The tone of the head of the Robert Koch Institute, the German health institute, Lothar Wieller, is very alarmed, inviting the population to stay at home to stop the frightening wave of Covid infections that has hit the country. According to Wieler, hospitals in many regions are at their limit and the increase in vaccination rates is insufficient to contain the pandemic. “LOCKDOWN NOT EXCLUDED” – Today even the German Health Minister, Jens Spahn, said that the wave of coronavirus cases that hit all of Germany has plunged the country into a “national emergency”, adding that the situation “It is more serious than a week ago.” “We are in a situation where nothing can be ruled out,” said Spahn, answering the question whether the German government is ruling out a lockdown also for the vaccinated. GOING FREE TO NEW RESTRICTIONS – Today the Bundesrat, the German upper house, approved the new package of restrictions. Despite the expected opposition from the conservative bloc, which dominates the House in which the 16 Lander are represented, the package, already approved yesterday by the Bundestag, passed unanimously. This contains the measure of the so-called 3G – initial of the German words for ‘cured, vaccinated or tested’ – to go to work or travel on public transport. The closure of schools or shops is excluded. LATEST BULLETIN – In Germany in the last 24 hours 52,970 new coronavirus infections have been confirmed, down from yesterday’s 65,371 which marked the highest figure since the beginning of the pandemic. This was announced by the Robert Koch Institut (Rki), which monitors the progress of the pandemic in the country and according to which there are a total of more than 5.2 million registered infections. The country’s seven-day incidence rate also increased, to 340.7 (new high), explains the Rki. There are also 201 people who lost their lives on the last day due to complications attributable to the coronavirus.