Please note that this excerpt from a speech by the German Minister of Health has been taken out of context

Published on: 08/23/2022 – 18:32 Since August 16, 2022, several French-speaking Twitter accounts have shared the video of a speech delivered by Karl Lauterbach, the German Minister of Health. According to these accounts, the minister was filmed without his knowledge as he explained that the German government “will prevent the end of the pandemic”. In reality, it is a sentence taken out of context uttered during a speech broadcast live. Verification in brief Since August 16, 2022, several French-speaking Twitter accounts claim that the German Minister of Health would have explained that his government “will prevent the end of the pandemic”. These users want as proof a fifteen-second video, supposed to have been shot without the knowledge of the minister. In reality, this speech was delivered publicly on January 14, 2022. And above all, the fifteen-second excerpt shared since by some Twitter accounts has been cut in order to change the meaning of the speech. The detail of the verification “We will prevent the end of the pandemic.” Since August 16, 2022, several French-speaking Twitter accounts claim that this sentence was pronounced by Karl Lauterbach, the German Minister of Health. They want proof of this in a fifteen-second video that is circulating on social networks and has already accumulated more than 50,000 views. According to them, these words would have been spoken during a declaration which should have remained secret. Screenshot of one of the tweets, published on August 16, 2022, broadcasting this video shot at the Bundesrat. © Observers A reverse image search (see here how to proceed) allows to find the origin of this video. It was filmed on January 14, 2022 when the German Minister of Health spoke before the Bundesrat, the Federal Council which brings together the representatives of the sixteen German Länder. The meeting is far from secret: this speech was broadcast live on YouTube. In the fifteen-second clip shared on Twitter, Karl Lauterbach says: “And if this continues, then we must continue too. We cannot stop us, we can’t say ‘Now we’re going to stop with Omicron’. Omicron won’t end the pandemic… which we’re trying to prevent.” his last sentence. The live broadcast, which therefore includes the entire speech, effectively makes it possible to verify that the remarks attributed to Karl Lauterbach have in fact been taken out of context. At the 32nd minute of his speech, Karl Lauterbach said the following words: “We must expect the arrival of new variants in the fall. It happens that among the scientists who are deeply involved – and I am in contact with many of them, not just here in Germany – there are very few, I don’t mean anyone, but very few who say that Omicron is the last great variant. hundred thinks that. But there aren’t many more. The other 99 say the pandemic continues. And if it continues, then we have to continue too. We can’t stop, we can’t say “Now, we will stop with Omicron”. Omicron will not end the pandemic. is sometimes advanced, which will not end the pandemic, even for the unvaccinated . Because Omicron infection does not protect much against other variants. Even against the Delta variant, I only have about 50% protection if I was recently infected with Omicron.” It is therefore clear from this speech by the German Minister of Health that the latter wishes to pursue a policy to combat the spread of Covid-19, as he believes that the Omicron variant will not be the last of the pandemic, contrary to popular belief. At one point, he effectively says: “What we are trying to prevent… “But he finally leaves this beginning of the sentence in suspense, to start another where he continues his argument in favor of a policy to fight against the pandemic. This fifteen-second extract which is today shared on social networks is truncated, to make believe that the Minister of Health wanted to prolong the pandemic.