Covid-19: German authorities show cautious optimism
Head of the Robert Koch Institute responsible for disease control and prevention Lothar Wieler, left, in Germany in Berlin, Thursday, November 12, 2020. AP Photo / Markus Schreiber, Pool
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
The second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic is forcing many countries to tighten restrictions in an attempt to reduce the increase in the number of cases.
This is also the case for Germany, even though the country may have a less negative balance sheet than most of its neighbors.
More restrictive measures have been in place since the beginning of the month.
The authorities showed cautious optimism on Thursday, November 12.
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With our correspondent in Berlin,
Pascal Thibault
The situation remains very serious but it gets worse less quickly.
This is how we could summarize the statements of the president of the Robert-Koch institute, the German health watch authority.
With 22,000 new cases on Tuesday, the turning point with a drop in the number of new cases is not yet at the rendezvous.
But the curve flattens out and the increase is less than it was.
Officials believe that the more restrictive measures put in place at the beginning of the month for four weeks - closing bars and restaurants, limiting private contacts - have not yet produced their effects.
Angela Merkel, however, warned Thursday: "
The epidemic will occupy us at least all winter
".
The Chancellor will take stock of the regional presidents on Monday, November 16.
Relaxation of measures is unlikely.
The objective is to return to an infection level of less than 50 new cases over seven days per 100,000 inhabitants.
This rate is now 139.
The authorities are concerned about the increase in the number of hospitalized patients.
While the number of beds available is still large, there is a shortage of staff.
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