SHARE
COPY LINK

ANGELA MERKEL

Merkel urges Germans to get vaccinated amid ‘exponential growth’ of Covid infections

German Chancellor Angela Merkel used her last summer press conference before she steps down to call on people in Germany to get vaccinated amid rising Covid-19 infections.

Merkel urges Germans to get vaccinated amid 'exponential growth' of Covid infections
Chancellor Angela Merkel at the press conference on Thursday. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Wolfgang Kumm

“The infection figures are rising again and with a clear and worrying dynamic,” Merkel said in one of her last federal press conferences before she steps down at the September election.

“We are seeing exponential growth,” she said, adding that the Covid fourth wave is already emerging. 

Germany has seen low infection numbers over the summer compared to many of its European neighbours, but cases have been creeping up over the past two weeks, largely fuelled by the Delta variant.

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) health agency on Thursday recorded 1,890 new infections over the past 24 hours and an incidence rate of 12.2 new cases per 100,000 people over the past seven days — up from a low of 4.9 in early July.

Merkel said she expected cases to double in the next two weeks. “With a rising incidence rate, it could be that we need to introduce additional measures,” she said. She did not rule out pulling forward a meeting with state premiers scheduled for the end of August if it was needed. 

IN NUMBERS:

Merkel said she wanted to use her appearance on Thursday to promote Covid vaccinations. She said “every vaccination… is a small step towards a return to normality”.

“Vaccination not only protects you, but also someone near you, someone you love,” she said. “Vaccination also protects against the measures [that restrict] our everyday lives…the more vaccinated, the freer we will be – individually but also as a community.”

The only way out of the pandemic in the long run, she said, is vaccination. “The more people are vaccinated, the more are protected against a severe course (of Covid),” she said.

Merkel urged people to talk to each other about vaccination “at the workplace, at the football field” to encourage everyone to get their jabs. She said she was calling on “everybody already vaccinated to convince the others to do it as well”.

Higher vaccination rates now make it possible to deal with higher infection rates, she said but added: “Preventing the health system from being overburdened remains the guiding principle for our actions.”

Germany began easing pandemic restrictions in May and has now reopened restaurants, shops, pools and museums, as well as easing limits on public and private gatherings.

As of Thursday, 60.4 percent of Germans had received one jab against Covid-19, with 48 percent fully vaccinated.

Flood tragedy 

In Merkel’s last question and answer session, the Chancellor also talked about the western German flood tragedy.

Merkel said there would be joint effort from the whole country to deal with the severe weather disaster in western Germany.

“We will need considerable effort to repair all this damage,” said Merkel. She talked about the terrible devastation from the flooding, and how Germany was mourning the loss of more than 170 lives.

The goal is to jointly finance the flood damage, Merkel said. The German government is setting aside €400 million in emergency aid. In the coming days and weeks discussions will be held with German state premiers on how to organise a joint reconstruction fund, Merkel said. 

READ ALSO: Why Germany faces tough questions over disaster response

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

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?

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

SHOW COMMENTS