According to the Federal Government, Germany is facing the further spread of the more contagious Delta variant in the population.

With an increasing share, Delta will soon be the dominant variant in Germany, now the absolute number of infections must be kept as low as possible, said Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) on Thursday in Berlin.

Vaccination helps against the spread of Delta, warned Spahn.

"Double vaccination protects against Delta," emphasized the minister.

This has now been proven.

According to estimates by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), at least every second corona infection in Germany is likely to be due to Delta.

Spahn warned people without a vaccination to get tested.

"We have tests en masse available." Spahn emphasized: "It is up to us whether Delta has a chance." It is up to the Germans themselves whether after a great holiday there will also be a great time in autumn.

The general recommendation to unvaccinated people to be tested regularly also applies to those returning to travel.

Offices no longer overloaded

"We have significantly more opportunities than a year ago," said the minister.

In addition to the wide range of tests, there are also clear rules at the beginning of the travel period.

In order to minimize an entry from other countries, the "comparatively strict" entry regulations apply.

According to Spahn, there are now officially options for control.

After the summer of 2020, the authorities had increasingly reached their limits in tracking the corona contacts.

Spahn said the health authorities are increasingly relieved of the burden of tracing contacts due to falling incidences.

You could control the quarantine of people who have come from Corona areas.

In this context, Portugal and the United Kingdom may soon no longer be classified as virus variant areas due to the spread of the delta variant - with consequences for returnees.

If the Delta variant becomes predominant in Germany and with the knowledge that the double vaccination will also protect against this virus variant, "we will look at the situation in the next few days," said Spahn.

"If both of these are confirmed, Portugal and the United Kingdom will then also be able to be treated as high-incidence areas."

Advertise installation of air filters

Portugal, like Russia and previously Great Britain, was recently classified as a virus variant area because of the spread of the Delta variant.

This means that there are strict restrictions on returnees.

The returnees must be in quarantine for 14 days, even if they have been vaccinated or have recovered.

You can't test yourself either.

"With the knowledge that it has now been confirmed in the last few days that the double vaccination protects with this variant, we have the opportunity to come to a different classification," said Spahn.

Here, too, the double vaccination makes "a difference".

With a view to autumn and a possible further corona wave, Spahn appealed to the federal states to keep schools and daycare centers open as long as possible. After the past few months, children and adolescents deserve this to be their top responsibility, says Spahn in Berlin. In this context, he urges the school authorities in the federal states to ensure that air filters are installed in classrooms. The federal government supports this to the best of its knowledge and belief, especially financially. But: "The federal government cannot install filters in schools."