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TRAVEL

Deutsche Bahn to double cleaners on trains and make station toilets free

Germany's national rail company is taking a number of measures to improve its cleanliness amid the coronavirus pandemic, including hiring more cleaners and making WCs at some stations around the country free of charge.

Published: 19 May 2020 10:10 CEST

The number of cleaning staff on trains is set to double to 500 by July, according to a report on Tuesday by the Funke Media Group. By August, a total of 600 of these “en-route cleaners” will be staffed in trains travelling throughout Germany. 

In total, Deutsche Bahn employs 4,300 cleaners, both on board and on the ground at its stations around Germany.

READ ALSO: Everything you need to know about exploring Germany by train

The en-route cleaners are tasked with cleaning and disinfecting contact surfaces such as door handles, grips and handrails during the train journey, as well as the toilet facilities, according to the report.

The company also purchased 19 million face masks, which it is selling at the on-board bistro of long-distance trains for €1.50 each.

Cleaner stations

Deutsche Bahn is also planning on cleaning up its act at its train stations, according to the report. It will install disinfectant dispensers at around 180 stations and 150 service stores in the coming months.

In addition, the WCs at the 20 largest stations – such as Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt or Cologne – will also be free to access for anyone. They typically cost 50 cents to €1 to enter.

At stations, ticket and snack machines in particular are cleaned frequently. In addition, all long-distance trains are therefore cleaned and disinfected before they are used in the factories.

“We are cleaning our trains and stations more than ever before,” said Berthold Huber, a member of Deutsche Bahn’s management board, to the Funke Media Group. 

“At the same time, we are asking our passengers for their help. If everyone keeps to the rules of hygiene and masks, everyone will reach their destination healthy and safe.”

Deutsche Bahn has been hit particularly hard by the corona crisis, with the company reporting an 85 percent drop in passenger numbers in April. However, the company has received a multibillion-euro-rescue package from the government to weather the effects of the crisis.

Vocabulary

en-route cleaner – (die) Unterwegsreiniger

door handles – (die) Türdrücker

handrails – (die) Haltestangen

cleaned frequently – häufig geputzt

We're aiming to help our readers improve their German by translating vocabulary from some of our news stories. Did you find this article useful? Let us know.

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HEALTH

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

It’s back again: amid sinking temperatures, the incidence of Covid-19 has been slowly rising in Germany. But is this enough to merit worrying about the virus?

Published: 20 September 2023 12:05 CEST
Updated: 20 September 2023 22:22 CEST
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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