Around 33% have no protection against the virus, according to the RKI. Germany has one of the lowest vaccination rates in western Europe, with just over 67% of the population fully vaccinated. The definition of 'fully vaccinated' is changing Germany’s seven-day incidence rate also hit record levels of 336.9 cases per 100,000 people, up from 249.1 cases reported a week ago, RKI reported.ĬDC releases illustration of the Coronavirus. The country reported 264 Covid-19 related deaths from Wednesday to Thursday, pushing the total number of deaths since the pandemic began to 98,000 people in Germany, according to RKI data. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany’s disease and control center, has reported 65,371 new cases within the last 24 hours – it is an increase of 12,545 new infections compared to the previous 24-hour period.īut these figures are likely to be under reported, and true scale of infections could be “twice or three times as many,” RKI chief Lothar Wieler told an online discussion with Saxony’s state premier Michael Kretschmer on Wednesday evening. The new measures will take efffect once Germany’s 16 states incorporate them into existing rules, likely in the coming days.Germany reported its highest single day surge of Covid-19 infections as Chancellor Angela Merkel said the “dramatic” situation was the result of the fourth wave “hitting our country with full force.” Each year, hospitals treat hundreds of people with serious injuries because of mishandled fireworks. To reduce the pressure on hospitals over the festive period, the sale of fireworks traditionally set off during New Year’s in Germany will be banned. The Robert Koch Institute also reported 388 new deaths from COVID-19, taking the total since the start of the pandemic to 102,178. Germany’s disease control agency reported 73,209 newly confirmed cases Thursday. Some hospitals in the south and east of the country have already transferred patients to other parts of Germany because of a shortage of intensive care beds.Īgreeing what measures to take has been complicated by Germany’s political structure - with the 16 states responsible for many of the regulations - and the ongoing transition at the federal level. The rise in COVID-19 cases over the past several weeks and the arrival of the new omicron variant have prompted warnings from scientists and doctors that medical services in the country could become overstretched in the coming weeks unless drastic action is taken. “If we had a higher vaccination rate, we wouldn’t be discussing this now,”he said. WHO: Omicron variant cases highlight vaccine inequity around the world Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, who is expected to be elected chancellor by a center-left coalition next week, has also backed a general vaccine mandate, but favors letting lawmakers vote on the issue according to their personal conscience rather than party lines. There have been large protests against pandemic measures in the past in Germany and the vaccine mandate is likely to be opposed by a minority, though opinion polls show most Germans are in favor.Ģ:04WHO: Omicron variant cases highlight vaccine inequity around the world If passed, it could take effect as early as February, Merkel said, adding that she would have voted in favor of the measure if she were still a member of parliament.Ībout 68.7 per cent of the population in Germany is fully vaccinated, far below the minimum of 75 per cent the government is aiming for. She said parliament would debate the proposal with input from the country’s national ethics committee. Merkel herself backed the most contentious proposal of imposing a general vaccine mandate. She said officials also agreed to require masks in schools, impose new limits on private meetings and aim for 30 million vaccinations by the end of the year - an effort that will be boosted by allowing dentists and pharmacists to administer the shots. “The situation in our country is serious,” Merkel told reporters in Berlin, calling the measure an “act of national solidarity.” Speaking after a meeting with federal and state leaders, Merkel the measures were necessary in light of concerns that hospitals in Germany could become overloaded with people suffering COVID-19 infections, which are more likely to be serious in those who haven’t been vaccinated. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday that people who aren’t vaccinated will be excluded from nonessential stores, cultural and recreational venues, and parliament will consider a general vaccine mandate as part of efforts to curb COVID-19 infections that again topped 70,000 newly confirmed cases in a 24-hour period.
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