The proliferation of new versions of SARS-CoV-2 and the rapid increase in the number of new infections per day has put the country in a “particularly dangerous” situation, particularly the care system, which in April was at its “load limit” Can reach. . Lothar Weller, head of RKI, said that Germany is facing “difficult weeks”. Among variants of SARS-CoV-2, the so-called British mutant, which is more contagious than the first and more likely to cause serious illness, allows the third wave to be stronger than the first two.

Due to the dominance of mutant B.1.1.7, it is expected that in the coming weeks the number of infected people will increase rapidly, there will be crowded hospitals and “many will die”. He underlined: It is also conceivable that the number of newly registered infections per day will reach one lakh. As he said, the third wave can no longer be stopped, but it can be curbed. This requires immediate and great effort, slowing the epidemic by all possible means, from basic infectious hygiene precautions to the latest testing techniques. He said that while the vaccination campaign had still not affected the development of the epidemic, it would take “a few more months” before the results of the campaign appeared.

Both Jens Spahn and Lothar Willer emphasized that the Easter holidays should be used to prevent the spread of the virus. Everyone should reduce the number of encounters and contacts at risk of infection and stay home if possible.

Lothar Weller recalled that last year there was little to see people on the streets on Easter, the mobility of the population had fallen by more than 60 percent, and this disciplined behavior contributed greatly to averting the first nationwide wave of infection. It may work again this year, the RKI president said.

Jens Spahn agreed in a meeting between the federal government and provincial governments in early March, underlining the need for frequent application in all provinces of the so-called emergency brake system.

The essence of the system is to restore suspended restrictions at the beginning of the month by reducing the second wave in provinces, districts or cities where the so-called seven-day transition frequency is permanently above three hundred in a row, that is, the new last seven days. Registered infection in. Number of residents per 100,000.

According to RKI data, the seven-day infection rate at the national level had already exceeded the 100 mark on 21 March and reached 119.10 on Friday morning. According to the institute’s Friday summary, 21,573 infections were screened in 24 hours. This is a nearly 25 percent increase from 17,482 a week earlier. With newly registered infections, SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in 2,734,753 people. In relation to the disease caused by the virus (Kovid-19), 183 deaths a day were recorded, bringing the number of pandemic victims to 75,623 in Germany.

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