Europe's news in English

COPY LINK

BAR

Berlin tries to trace guests at inner city bar after coronavirus scare

Authorities in Berlin are appealing for people who went to the MIO restaurant and bar on the evening of July 10th to get in touch after a cluster of coronavirus tests.

Published: 23 July 2020 10:36 CEST

Berlin tries to trace guests at inner city bar after coronavirus scare

Photo: DPA

The city says that people at the bar, which is situated directly under the TV Tower on Alexanderplatz, came from several cities around the country.

They are particularly interested in people who were inside between the hours of 9pm and 3am the next morning.

At least 10 people who went to the bar have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

People who were at the bar on that evening are asked to get in touch with the health authority in Berlin Mitte or to contact their own local health authority.

Strict rules

Since June, bars and pubs have been allowed to reopen in Berlin. As is the case with restaurants, operators must have a plan in place to ensure distancing, hygiene and contact tracing.

READ ALSO: From bars to gyms: What's reopening in Berlin in June?

According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), German health authorities have reported 569 new coronavirus infections within the past 24 hours.

This means that 203,368 people in Germany have been infected with the virus since the beginning of the crisis. The RKI estimates that 189,000 people have recovered.

According to data from Johns Hopkins University, there have been a total of 8,860 coronavirus cases in Berlin, 8,356 who have reported to recovered.

A total of 9,101 people who tested positive for the Sars-CoV-2 virus have died. These figures suggest that some 5,267 people are currently infected in Germany.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.

Become a Member to leave a comment.

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

Url copied to clipboard!