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From the point of view of Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU), the corona infection numbers indicate an initial relaxation.

"We now have the first successes that seem visible in the statistics, in development, in the number of infections," said Spahn on Monday in the ARD "Morgenmagazin".

The intensive care units have become 10, 15 percent emptier.

"But we're still a long way from where we want to go, where we have to go, in order to permanently control it so that it doesn't flare up again straight away."

The all-clear could therefore not yet be given.

A risk is the corona mutation, which will very likely lead to a higher infection rate, warned Spahn with a view to the federal-state consultations on Tuesday.

"First of all, from my point of view, it is about looking again at how we can reduce contacts, also in the world of work or in the private sector." The question is whether new rules are needed or whether we need to raise awareness of the existing regulations must sharpen.

One month after the massive corona vaccination campaign began in Israel, the first study results show that the vaccine significantly reduces the number of new infections.

Just two weeks after the first dose of the Biontech Pifzer vaccine, the number of positive corona tests in people over 60 was significantly lower, according to a study by the country's largest health insurance company.

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The health insurance company Clalit compared a group of around 200,000 vaccinated people over 60 with a group of non-vaccinated people of the same size and of the same age, explained the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Ran Balicer.

"That is the most interesting age group in terms of the effectiveness of the vaccine." Balicer emphasized that no special tests were initiated, but only "observed the groups in real life".

The results relate to people in both groups who had to take corona tests for various reasons - for example because they had symptoms or had contact with sick people.

"The proportion of those who tested positive - whether symptomatic or asymptomatic - was 33 percent lower in the vaccinated group than in the non-vaccinated group," said Balicer.

The epidemiologist speaks of an "encouraging result that shows that the vaccine is also effective in older people".

He therefore expects that the number of seriously ill corona patients will decrease shortly.

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With its rapid vaccination campaign, Israel is considered a pioneer.

More than two million people have already received the first and around a quarter of a million the second dose.

According to Balicer, 75 percent of people over 60 have already been vaccinated.

"We understand how important it is to provide the world with quick and reliable information about the vaccination campaign in Israel," says Balicer, chairman of a team of Corona experts that advises the government.

"We are tracking the effectiveness of the vaccine under real conditions."

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