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German army offers 10,000 soldiers to help coronavirus fight

Germany's defence minister on Wednesday offered up to 10,000 soldiers to help carry out coronavirus tests in care homes as the country continues to struggle with high infection numbers.

Published: 14 January 2021 09:15 CET

German army offers 10,000 soldiers to help coronavirus fight

Oliver Ronneberger, a press speaker for the Bundeswehr, showed a map on Wednesday of where around Germany they would be deployed. Photo: DPA

“The Bundeswehr is ready to assist at short notice with up to 10,000 men and women in old people's homes and nursing homes if we are called upon,” a spokesman for Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer told AFP.

The soldiers would be able to receive training from manufacturers in how to carry out rapid tests, easing the pressure on care home staff and helping to protect those deemed most at risk from the virus, the spokesman said.

READ ALSO: Germany calls up army reserves to help fight coronavirus

“It is the most vulnerable in the pandemic who need our help now,” he said.

It will be up to local authorities to decide whether and how to take advantage of the offer.

Some 1,156 Bundeswehr soldiers are already helping out in 267 care homes, according to the defence ministry.

The army has made 20,000 soldiers available to help in the fight against the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, but so far work has been found for only around 8,000 of them.

Germany began vaccinating citizens against Covid-19 in late December, with care home residents among the first in the queue.

A total of 758,093 people had received their first jab by Wednesday, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) disease control centre.

Around 366,000 of them are health workers — such as doctors, nurses and care home staff — in regular contact with vulnerable people.

Around 285,000 care home residents have been vaccinated so far.

Germany reported 19,600 new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours on Wednesday and 1,060 deaths, according to the RKI.

Member comments

Anonymous - 14 January 2021 at 10:17 CET

Of course we need soldiers to fight Covid, we are at war you know!
Anonymous - 19 January 2021 at 02:35 CET

Adrian- wanted to thank you for the Solid commentary on the mandatory FFP2 mask article. Have you been arrested yet? Fight the good fight!

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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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