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VACCINES

Germany reaches milestone of 30 percent of population vaccinated against Covid

Germany gave out more than a million coronavirus jabs in a day for the second time, bumping up the number of people who've received one dose to over 30 percent.

Published: 6 May 2021 13:39 CEST
Germany reaches milestone of 30 percent of population vaccinated against Covid
An employee of company Merck KGaA waiting for a vaccine in Darmstadt, Hesse. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa/POOL | Arne Dedert

On Wednesday May 5th, Germany delivered 1.092 million jabs to people, giving another huge boost to the rollout.

A week ago, Germany smashed a European record by giving out 1.1 million jabs.

READ ALSO: Germany breaks European card by giving a million Covid jabs in a day

So far only China, India and the United States have so far been able to top that daily inoculation rate. In Europe, Britain had previously held the highest number of jabs in 24 hours – with 874,000 doses given on March 20th.

Journalist for German daily Welt Olaf Gersemann, who has been monitoring the vaccine situation closely, said last week’s record could still be broken if states submit any late reports.

In total 30.6 percent of the German population – 25.4 million residents have received at least one jab against coronavirus since the campaign began at the end of December 2020. A total of 8.6 percent of residents – about 7.1 million people – are fully inoculated.

In comparison, the UK hit the 30 percent target about two months ago on March 1st, and the US hit that milestone on April 2nd.

Health Minister Jens Spahn announced the news on Twitter. He also said Germany also broke a “very important” daily record for the number of second doses given out, which amounted to 200,000 jabs.

Slow start but massive improvements

Up to and including May 5th, a total of 32,596,999 vaccine doses have been administered in Germany. Of these, 25,882,244 doses were injected in vaccination centers and 6,714,755 in medical practices.

Since family doctors were given the green light to carry out vaccinations after Easter, the daily number of jabs has increased massively.

Germany’s campaign got off to a slow start, which was put down to EU-wide supply issues for vaccines, as well as bureaucratic hurdles – perhaps caused by different state procedures – and the inflexible vaccination priority list.

However, the rate of vaccinations has picked up in the last few weeks, giving hope of a momentum that will continue as the third wave begins to ease.

READ ALSO: Bavaria plans vaccines in supermarkets, schools and pharmacies

Chancellor Angela Merkel confirmed last week that Germany plans to lift the priority list in June “at the latest” so every adult will be able to make an appointment then.

Germany is also pushing through a law that will see fully vaccinated people and those who’ve recovered from Covid face fewer Covid rules.

Some states have already started easing rules for those who have been inoculated, for example by taking away the obligation to present a Covid-19 test before visiting a hairdresser.

 

 

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STRIKES

EXPLAINED: How could government intervene to settle Denmark nurses’ strike?

Over one in four people in Denmark are in favour of political intervention to resolve an ongoing nurses’ strike, but political resolutions to labour disputes are uncommon in the country.

Published: 21 July 2021 13:46 CEST
EXPLAINED: How could government intervene to settle Denmark nurses’ strike?
Striking nurses demonstrate in Copenhagen on July 10th. OPhoto: Ida Guldbæk Arentsen/Ritzau Scanpix

In a new opinion poll conducted by Voxmeter on behalf of news wire Ritzau, 27.3 percent said they supported political intervention in order to end the current industrial conflict was has almost 5,000 nurses currently striking across Denmark, with another 1,000 expected to join the strike next month.

READ ALSO:

Over half of respondents – 52.6 percent – said they do not support political intervention, however, while 20.1 percent answered, “don’t know”.

That may be a reflection of the way labour disputes are normally settled within what is known as the ‘Danish model’, in which high union membership (around 70 percent) amongst working people means unions and employers’ organisations negotiate and agree on wages and working conditions in most industries.

The model, often referred to as flexicurity, is a framework for employment and labour built on negotiations and ongoing dialogue to provide adaptable labour policies and employment conditions. Hence, when employees or employers are dissatisfied, they can negotiate a solution.

But what happens when both sides cannot agree on a solution? The conflict can evolve into a strike or a lockout and, occasionally, in political intervention to end the dispute.

READ ALSO: How Denmark’s 2013 teachers’ lockout built the platform for a far greater crisis

Grete Christensen, leader of the Danish nurses’ union DSR, said she can now envisage a political response.

“Political intervention can take different forms. But with the experience we have of political intervention, I can envisage it, without that necessarily meaning we will get what we are campaigning for,” Christensen told Ritzau.

“Different elements can be put into a political intervention which would recognise the support there is for us and for our wages,” she added.

A number of politicians have expressed support for intervening to end the conflict.

The political spokesperson with the left wing party Red Green Alliance, Mai Villadsen, on Tuesday called for the prime minister Mette Frederiksen to summon party representatives for talks.

When industrial disputes in Denmark are settled by parliaments, a legal intervention is the method normally used. But Villadsen said the nurses’ strike could be resolved if more money is provided by the state.

That view is supported by DSR, Christensen said.

“This must be resolved politically and nurses need a very clear statement to say this means wages will increase,” the union leader said.

“This exposes the negotiation model in the public sector, where employers do not have much to offer because their framework is set out by (parliament),” she explained, in reference to the fact that nurses are paid by regional and municipal authorities, whose budgets are determined by parliament.

DSR’s members have twice voted narrowly to reject a deal negotiated between employers’ representatives and their union.

The Voxmeter survey consists of responses from 1,014 Danish residents over the age of 18 between July 15th-20th.

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