According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the nationwide seven-day incidence was 51.6 on Saturday morning and thus exceeded 50 for the first time since May. The previous day, the number of new corona infections reported within seven days per 100,000 inhabitants was still at 48.8, a week ago at 32.7.
The figure, which is important for assessing the infection situation, last reached a value of over 50 on May 25 (58.4), the lowest value of summer was reported at the beginning of July (4.9 on July 3 and 6).
According to the RKI, the fourth wave of the corona pandemic has begun in Germany. Younger people in particular are affected by infections, according to the institute's weekly report on Thursday. Despite the vaccinations, the corona incidence will remain an important value for assessing the upcoming occupancy of intensive care beds in autumn and winter, experts recently explained. From 200 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within a week, "a considerable burden on the intensive care units" with more than 3000 intensive care patients at the same time can be expected, provided the vaccination rate is not increased significantly, according to the analysis presented last week.
The health authorities in Germany last reported 8092 new corona infections to the RKI within one day.
This is evident from the numbers from Saturday morning, which reflect the status of the RKI dashboard at 4:05 a.m.
A week ago, the value for Germany was 5644 infections.
Consider hospital admissions
The incidence has so far been the basis for many corona restrictions in the pandemic, for example as part of the federal emergency brake that expired at the end of June.
In the future, other values such as hospital admissions are to be taken more into account.
According to the new information, 17 deaths were recorded across Germany within 24 hours.
A week ago there were 11 deaths.
The RKI has counted 3,861,147 detected infections with Sars-CoV-2 since the beginning of the pandemic.
The actual total number is likely to be significantly higher, as many infections are not detected.
The RKI stated the number of those who had recovered at 3,696,300.
The number of people who died with or with a proven infection with Sars-CoV-2 rose to 91,973.
"Practices need clarity"
The statutory health insurance physicians have demanded precise guidelines for booster vaccinations from the federal government in the coming months.
"Of course, the booster vaccinations can be carried out in the practices," says the head of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), Andreas Gassen, according to a preliminary report in the newspaper Rheinische Post.
However, the practices and their teams need clarity as to when and for whom vaccinations are needed.
It should not be forgotten that the flu season will start again from autumn.
A possible combination of both vaccinations would make sense, said Gassen.
Medical President Klaus Reinhardt tells the Rheinische Post that he thinks booster vaccinations only make sense for people with certain pre-existing illnesses, with a weakened immune system and for the very elderly.
Fully approved by Pfizer / Biontech in the US
The US FDA plans to fully approve the Pfizer / Biontech vaccine from Monday. As the New York Times reports, at the moment it is only a matter of working through and finalizing the "paperwork" and negotiations with the company. The newspaper relies on statements from a person familiar with the planning who did not want to be named. None of the three US-approved vaccines have received full FDA approval.