Corona incidences: Lauterbach expects a “summer wave”

There seems to be a trend reversal in the development of corona infections in Germany.

After a long decline, the nationwide seven-day incidence has now risen for the fifth day in a row, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).

The RKI registered 78,428 new infections within 24 hours on Monday.

That's 16,079 more cases than Monday a week ago, when 62,349 positive tests were reported.

In addition, the seven-day incidence increased for the fifth day in a row.

The reading climbed to 1259.2 from 1231.1 the previous day.

The increase could be due to the even more easily transmissible omicron subvariant BA.2, which may now be dominant.

Based on the rate of spread of BA.2, modelers from the TU Berlin announced around two weeks ago that the number of infections could be expected to increase again from the end of February.

Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) was concerned about the numbers.

It will continue to make itself felt that the omicron variant BA.2 is even more contagious than the original omicron variant, he said on Monday in Berlin.

At the weekend he warned of a further increase in the summer and called for the maintenance of far-reaching protection options beyond March 20th.

"We have to expect a summer wave," Lauterbach told the newspapers of the Funke media group.

Both the delta and the omicron variant are so infectious that even in good weather, many contacts and the decreasing vaccination protection could lead to an increasing number of infections.

The Infection Protection Act must be geared to this.

End of everyday restrictions?

Lauterbach received an objection from the FDP, which insists on an extensive end to everyday restrictions.

"When the danger situation eases, measures must also be scaled back," said Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann (FDP) to the Funke newspapers.

"You can't just preventively restrict millions of basic rights in the long run." Every solution must take this into account.

Lauterbach, on the other hand, receives support from the Greens.

Party leader Ricarda Lang warned against relaxing the corona protection measures too quickly.

On Friday, the relaxation of the corona measures came into force nationwide, affecting restaurants, discotheques and events in particular.

However, these regulations will expire on March 19th.

Because only up to this point in time does the Infection Protection Act allow the previous corona restrictions.

The federal and state governments agree in principle that there should continue to be a certain basic protection from March 20th.

However, there is still no agreement on its exact form.

Medical President Klaus Reinhardt called for FFP2 masks to be worn wherever possible in public spaces.

Despite the recent increase in corona incidence values, the easing is correct.

In future dealings with the pandemic, it is crucial “that people learn to deal with the risk of infection sensibly by acting independently in everyday life,” he told the “Rheinische Post”.

Above all, this includes getting fully vaccinated.

"No run yet" on new vaccine

However, hopes of an increasing willingness to vaccinate thanks to the new vaccine from Novavax have not yet been fulfilled.

The German Association of Cities reported little demand for the protein vaccine, which is based on a different technology than the mRNA preparations that have been widely used to date, and which some people distrust.

There is “still no run” on Nuvaxovid in the vaccination centers, Managing Director Helmut Dedy told the editorial network Germany.

Nevertheless, he was optimistic that hesitant people could still be convinced of vaccination.

Almost 20 million people in Germany are still unvaccinated.

The vote on the general obligation to vaccinate should take place in the Bundestag at the beginning of April.

The politicians in charge of the two group applications for compulsory vaccination, the deputy SPD parliamentary group leader Dirk Wiese and the FDP health politician Andrew Ullmann, told the "Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung" that they did not expect any further delays in parliament despite the political challenges caused by the war in Ukraine Procedure.

The first reading of the group motions is still scheduled for March 17th.

Wiese and Ullmann appealed to the Union faction to actually lift the faction constraint in the planned free vote.

The obligation to vaccinate is not a party-political issue, said Ullmann.

"You should also give your own deputies some freedom of conscience."