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This is not a good development so shortly before Christmas: The number of proven new corona infections in Hamburg rose significantly by 582 on Tuesday.

That is 281 new infections more than the day before and 303 more than a week ago.

The number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in the past seven days rose from 158.8 to 174.7, according to the health authority.

On Tuesday a week ago, the so-called incidence value was 138.3.

The number of deaths in the corona statistics of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) rose by 2 to 549 - 68 more than a week ago.

According to the authorities, a total of 33,312 people have been proven to have been infected with the coronavirus since the outbreak of the pandemic in Hamburg, of which, according to estimates by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), 24,500 can now be regarded as recovered.

According to the health authority, 525 corona patients were treated in the Hamburg hospitals as of Monday, 103 of them in intensive care units.

That was 40 more or one less than last Friday.

Visits to the Hamburg old people's and nursing homes are usually only possible from Wednesday onwards after a negative corona test has been submitted.

The red-green Senate decided on Tuesday that visitors must test accordingly.

Residents of care facilities are particularly at risk.

Therefore, it must be ruled out that visitors carry an infection there, said the health authority.

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In order to avoid hardship over Christmas, an exception rule applies until December 28th: ​​If rapid tests cannot be carried out in facilities, visits are still possible if residents and visitors wear an FFP2 mask at all times and strictly adhere to the hygiene concepts.

The exception should only be used cautiously and in emergencies.

Before entering the facility, a negative test result must be submitted in writing or electronically, which must meet the requirements of the Robert Koch Institute and, in the case of a POC antigen rapid test, be a maximum of 48 hours old, and a PCR test a maximum of three days old.

Alternatively, rapid tests that are taken immediately before entering the facility would also be accepted.

According to the authorities, rapid tests are already possible in a good third of Hamburg's care facilities.

The city plans to offer additional free quick tests for visitors next week.

These would be set up at central locations at short notice and should increase the test options in the care facilities, it said.

Around 2000 restaurants are threatened

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The economic consequences of the pandemic are also becoming increasingly visible.

After the worst year in post-war history caused by the corona, the tourism industry as well as the catering and hotel industry see difficult times to come in 2021.

“It can be assumed that travelers will be reluctant to book at first and will above all rely on security,” said Hamburg's tourism association director Wolfgang Raike.

There are already bad news for 2021.

“The port birthday, during which the hotel industry is always fully booked, has been canceled.” In addition, a number of trade fairs and events are not taking place and the Cruise Days are still pending.

Hamburg's acting Dehoga President Niklaus Kaiser also paints a gloomy picture: "We assume that almost a third of the approximately 6,000 restaurants in Hamburg are threatened with bankruptcy."

Partly 90 percent decline

"We will certainly need another two or three years to be able to build on old successes," said Raike.

2020 was definitely the worst year in the post-war period.

The number of guests and overnight stays has decreased dramatically.

"In a few months we had a decline of more than 90 percent." Assuming that tourists in Hamburg consumed around eight billion euros in 2019, this should be reduced by almost half this year.

In total, Raike expects more than three billion euros.