Germany’s COVID-19 situation stabilizing: Health minister

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN (AA) – Germany’s new coronavirus cases are stabilizing but this trend could slip back if people are not vigilant, the German health minister said on Monday.

“The situation is slowly stabilizing and there is a solid decline in the number of cases,” Karl Lauterbach said on Twitter, commenting on the latest figures that showed a decrease in new cases as well as hospitalizations.

Lauterbach, who is a trained epidemiologist, warned that the recent progress against COVID-19 could be lost if people do not get their booster jab, and are negligent about anti-coronavirus measures.

“This positive trend must not be put at risk during the Christmas season. The cases are still high, we must step up the booster program,” he stressed.

On Monday, the Robert Koch Institute confirmed 21,743 new infections, and 116 coronavirus-related fatalities, signaling control over the fourth wave of the pandemic.

The country recorded its highest daily number of coronavirus cases earlier this month with nearly 75,000 new infections and more than 500 deaths in a single day.

According to the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency, there were 4,926 seriously ill coronavirus patients in intensive care units on Monday, and more than half of them were on ventilators.

- More infections, tougher measures

German authorities introduced tougher measures this month, especially for unvaccinated people, in order to stem the spread of the virus.

Many federal states are now allowing only vaccinated and recovered people to have access to shops, restaurants, and cultural or sports events. Passengers on public transport are required to carry with them proof of vaccination or recovery, or a negative test result.

Germany has seen a rapid increase in coronavirus infections in recent months, as people spend more time indoors during the colder months and a considerable segment of the population remains unvaccinated.

The government wants to massively step up the vaccination campaign over the next few weeks. New Chancellor Olaf Scholz had announced the goal of 30 million vaccinations by Christmas. This includes both first, second, and booster shots.

As of Monday, nearly 70% of the country’s population has been vaccinated against COVID-19. Nearly a quarter of the population has gotten booster shots, according to the latest official data.

Germany's overall vaccination rate lags behind many other EU members, including Portugal, Spain, Denmark, and Malta.