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Germany’s Covid curbs ‘not enough’, warns Health Minister

Germany's health minister warned Wednesday that current coronavirus curbs will not suffice in preventing a wave of new infections of the highly transmissible variant Omicron.

Published: 29 December 2021 17:20 CET

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) speaks at a press conference on December 22nd, 2021. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Kay Nietfeld

Europe’s biggest economy on Tuesday shuttered nightclubs and forced sports competitions behind closed doors. It also limited private gatherings to 10 vaccinated people — or just two households if an unvaccinated person is present.

The rules came on top of restrictions already hitting the unimmunised who are barred from shops, restaurants and cultural events.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: The rules and official advice for Christmas and New Year in Germany

But Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said they may have to be toughened up further

“The protective measures that we are currently using to largely successfully counter the wave of Delta infections will not be enough to prevent a significant rise in Omicron cases,” he said.

“I do not believe the drop in the overall case numbers to be sustainable. And we’ll have to react to that,” he added.

Germany is currently reporting a falling trend in daily new infections, but Lauterbach said the true number of cases could be much higher because fewer tests were being done over the Christmas holiday season.

The real incidence is two or three times as high as the current rate of 205 cases per 100,000 people over seven days reported Wednesday, the minister said.

READ ALSO: Prevalence of Omicron in Germany unclear, cautions Health Minister

A sharp jump was expected “within a short period of time”, he said, as data over the festive season is fed into the system and as the proportion of Omicron cases grows.

The startlingly rapid spread of Omicron has forced many countries to reintroduce painful curbs despite their hefty economic and social consequences.

France on Wednesday reported a record of 200,000 new cases in a day, with Health Minister Oliver Veran describing Omicron as a “landslide”.

Like Germany, France has been urging the population to get their booster jabs to improve antibody defences against Omicron.

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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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