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German Bundesliga suspended over coronavirus fears

The German football league on Friday halted first division Bundesliga games with immediate effect over the coronavirus pandemic, the first such suspension since World War II.

Published: 13 March 2020 19:49 CET

German Bundesliga suspended over coronavirus fears

The Borussia-Park stadium in Mönchengladbach. Photo: DPA

“Given the developments of today with new coronavirus infections and suspected cases directly linked to the Bundesliga and the 2nd division, the German Football League has decided at short notice to postpone today's matches,” said the league in a statement.

All five of Europe's top leagues have now been suspended, with top-flight officials in France and England making similar announcements earlier on Friday.

READ ALSO: Coronavirus forces first ever Bundesliga game behind closed doors

Spain's La Liga postponed fixtures for two weeks on Thursday, while Italy's Serie A was put on hold until April 3rd at the start of the week.

The German league said it would plan to hold a meeting with clubs during the international break at the end of March to evaluate the situation and take further decisions if necessary.

“The goal is still to get to the end of the season before the summer, for sporting reasons, but also because a permanent stoppage to the season would put the survival of certain clubs in danger,” league officials said.

An extension of the season into June would require postponing Euro 2020, which is due to start June 12th. European football's governing body will hold a crisis meeting next Tuesday to determine the fate of the tournament.

The idea of playing this weekend while Germany stepped up measures to combat the spread of the virus, including closing schools in most German regions, did not sit well with several players.

“This is crazy. Please stop fooling around and land on reality. Let's be honest, there are much more important priorities than any sport,” tweeted Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara.

Union Berlin goalkeeper Rafal Gikiewicz claimed footballers were being treated like “circus monkeys”, while Paderborn defender Uwe Hunemeier said the “only priority must be everyone's health”.

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Could there be a new wave of Covid-19 in Germany this autumn?

More people donning face masks in supermarkets, friends cancelling plans last minute due to getting sick with Covid-19. We might have seen some of those familiar reminders recently that the coronavirus is still around, but could there really be a resurgence of the virus like we experienced during the pandemic years?

According to virologists, the answer seems to be ‘maybe’: since July, the number of people newly infected with Covid-19 has been slowly rising from a very low level.

According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), nine people per 100,000 inhabitants became newly infected in Germany last week. A year ago, there were only around 270 reported cases.

Various Corona variants are currently on the loose in the country. According to the RKI, the EG.5 (also called Eris) and XBB.1.16 lines were each detected in the week ending September 3rd with a share of just under 23 percent.

The highly mutated variant BA.2.86 (Pirola), which is currently under observation by the World Health Organisation (WHO), also arrived in the country this week, according to RKI.

High number of unreported case

The RKI epidemiologists also warned about a high number of unreported cases since hardly any testing is done. They pointed out that almost half of all registered sewage treatment plants report an increasing viral load in wastewater tests.

The number of hospital admissions has also increased slightly, but are still a far cry from the occupation rate amid the pandemic. Last week it was two per 100,000 inhabitants. In the intensive care units, only 1.2 percent of all beds are occupied by Covid-19 patients.

Still, a good three-quarters (76.4 percent) of people in Germany have been vaccinated at least twice and thus have basic immunity, reported RKI.

Since Monday, doctors’ offices have been vaccinating with the adapted vaccine from Biontech/Pfizer, available to anyone over 12 years old, with a vaccine for small children set to be released the following week and one for those between 5 and 11 to come out October 2nd.

But Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has so far only recommended that people over 60 and those with pre-existing conditions get vaccinated.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Who should get a Covid jab this autumn in Germany?

“The pandemic is over, the virus remains,” he said. “We cannot predict the course of coming waves of corona, but it is clear that older people and people with pre-existing conditions remain at higher risk of becoming severely ill from Covid-19”

The RKI also recommended that people with a cold voluntarily wear a mask. Anyone exhibiting cough, cold, sore throat or other symptoms of a respiratory illness should voluntarily stay at home for three to five days and take regular corona self-tests.

However, further measures such as contact restrictions are not necessary, he said.

One of many diseases

As of this autumn, Covid-19 could be one of many respiratory diseases. As with influenza, there are no longer absolute infection figures for coronavirus.

Saarbrücken pharmacist Thorsten Lehr told German broadcaster ZDF that self-protection through vaccinations, wearing a mask and getting tested when symptoms appear are prerequisites for surviving the Covid autumn well.

Only a new, more aggressive mutation could completely turn the game around, he added.

On April 7th of this year, Germany removed the last of its over two-year long coronavirus restrictions, including mask-wearing in some public places.

READ ALSO: German doctors recommend Covid-19 self-tests amid new variant

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