The Federal Ministry of Health plans to take into account more different statistical data than before when assessing the pandemic situation in Germany.

However, according to a spokesman, there has been no change in strategy.

The discussion about the allegedly diminishing importance of the so-called incidence has since flared up again.

Peter Carstens

Political correspondent in Berlin

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In several European countries, such as Great Britain with 322, Spain 231 and the Netherlands 230, comparatively high incidences have not led to massive restrictions on public life and holiday activities. Spain had recently criticized Germany for its assessment of the incidences and pointed out that more people in Spain than in Germany are fully vaccinated and thus the risk of severe courses is lower. This is also proven by the small number of those who have to be treated in the hospital. 

A spokesman for the Ministry of Health said on Monday: "The incidence was never the only parameter to assess the pandemic.

But it is and will remain a decisive, important parameter. ”For measuring regional developments, for example.

Government spokesman Steffen Seibert warned: “We are not yet in a normal situation.

Low case numbers can also explode again quickly.

Of course, vaccinating changed the bill.

But we are not yet adequately prepared for an increase in the number of cases.

So let's prevent an increase together. "

Seibert said: "Enjoy everything that is possible again, but do it with caution - distance, mask, testing and above all vaccination." Seibert announced that 42.6 percent of all citizens in Germany have been completely vaccinated. 

According to the spokesman for the Ministry of Health, it is correct that the incidence becomes less meaningful as the vaccination rate increases. This value is based on the number of diseases per 100,000 inhabitants. It was 6.4 on Monday. Therefore add “hospitalization”, the number of people who are treated in hospitals. This is apparently only very rudimentary at the moment.

On Monday, Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) signed an ordinance that will come into force on Tuesday. Accordingly, hospitals will have to collect and report significantly more data from corona patients in the future. In addition to information such as name and address, this also includes the vaccination status of the patient, including details of the vaccine used, as well as the exact dates on admission and discharge to or from the hospital. The clinics must also report whether a corona patient was admitted to the intensive care unit - and if so, for how long and whether artificial ventilation was required. 

Meanwhile, the fact that far-reaching and freedom-restricting measures have been set down in the Infection Protection Act, for example from an incidence of 35 upwards, is causing discussion. In the case of incidences of more than 100, strict measures apply. In the UK, with an incidence of more than 300, the suspension of almost all measures is currently planned. The Saarland Prime Minister Tobias Hans rejected the continued application of a “federal emergency brake” at a value of 100. Hans said, "I think it's very important that we don't just stare at incidence this fall."

It is necessary to advance the vaccination progress. Incentives like a lottery are “definitely an option”. At the end of the week, the FDP called for the "return to constitutional normalcy" to be prepared. "The top priority in any exceptional situation is to return to normal as soon as possible," demands the FDP parliamentary group in a paper. The FDP is ready to pass the necessary legal regulations in the Bundestag during the summer break, said the parliamentary managing director Marco Buschmann. 

The upcoming situation in schools is causing discussion.

While on the one hand football fans are to come together in tens of thousands in stadiums, the schoolchildren are still threatened by the restrictions that apply after the summer holidays.

A funding program for the introduction of mobile air filter systems is still in preparation, currently only permanently installed systems are funded.

"We are running into a second Corona autumn with announcement"

The Green parliamentary group leader Katrin Göring-Eckardt told the Berliner Morgenpost newspaper: "We are now heading into a second Corona autumn, and again the federal government is doing far too little to secure daycare centers and schools." The SPD chairwoman Saskia Esken said the Funke newspapers: "We must not lose any more time in the mistaken belief that children and young people are not at risk."

Due to the lack of vaccination protection, the number of infections in children and adolescents is twice as high as in the age group over 50 years. Esken continues: "The health as well as the educational and development opportunities of the young generation must now be in the foreground", long-covid consequences such as fatigue phenomena could prevent young people from having a good future for a long time.

"The younger generation has now for more than a year renounced a lot out of consideration for the older generation, now they can expect the same consideration from the predominantly vaccinated older adults." Hygiene rules should continue to be adhered to in order to protect children and adolescents, which are currently could not yet be vaccinated. Large events with thousands of visitors such as football, where "terrifyingly little willingness to discipline hygiene is shown," should not be accepted, said Esken.