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Berlin declared Covid-19 hotspot as infections spike

On Thursday afternoon the German capital exceeded the 'critical value' of new coronavirus infections, putting it in the Robert Koch Institute's (RKI) classification of a risk area.

Published: 8 October 2020 17:19 CEST

Berlin declared Covid-19 hotspot as infections spike

A face mask lays near Berlin's Brandenburg Gate. Photo: DPA

The number of coronavirus cases in the capital reached 52.8 per 100,000 residents in the last seven days, according to the Berlin Senate.

That puts the whole city-state in the classification of a risk area, which the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) defines as more than 50 cases per 100,000 residents within a seven-day period.

READ ALSO: MAPS: Where are the current Covid-19 hotspots right now?

Usually travellers coming from such areas are subject to a 14-day quarantine within Germany.

As of 4:30 pm, 498 people were confirmed to be infected with the virus over the last 24 hours, according to RKI data.

The district of Neukölln still has the highest seven-day incidence value, currently at 114.3 per 100,000 residents, followed by Mitte with 78.3 and Tempelhof-Schöneberg with 72.4.

Within the past 24 hours alone, Neukölln reported 150 new infections, followed by 59 in Mitte and 65 in Tempelhof-Schöneberg.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 17,112 people in Berlin have become infected with the virus, 13,965 who have reported themselves to have recovered from the disease. A total of 233 people have died.

Currently there are reported to be 2,914 people in Berlin infected with the virus.

In response to the growing number of infections, Berlin’s Senate has mandated that bars, restaurants and other establishments close between the hours of 11pm and 6am. The new measure and others will come into effect this Saturday.

Travellers from Berlin’s most highly infected districts are also no longer allowed to stay at hotels or pensions around Germany, with the exception of Bremen and Thuringia.

READ ALSO: Around Germany: What you need to know about current Covid-19 travel restrictions

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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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