Minister of Health: Lauterbach warns countries against excessive easing

Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) has warned the prime ministers of the federal states against entering a race to relax the corona measures.

"If we open too quickly, the number of cases will increase again," said Lauterbach on Friday in Berlin. 

It is currently possible to afford moderate easing, as decided at the most recent prime ministerial conference, but not excessive easing.

It would be wrong to want to gain political ground with further relaxation measures, said the Federal Minister of Health.

The measures decided at the Corona summit are the benchmark: “We have to implement it like clockwork.”

Lauterbach justified his assessment with the existing risk factors.

According to the latest research findings, the omicron variant BA.2 is not only more contagious, its course is also more difficult.

In addition, there are three to four times as many unvaccinated people in the over 60 age group in Germany compared to other countries. 

Lauterbach also spoke of risks with a view to the fall.

Corona variants that get deeper than the omicron into the human tissue could occur again.

This would be a more dangerous situation.

That is why he is in favor of general vaccination from the age of 18 and will vote in the Bundestag for the corresponding group application.

However, Lauterbach sees the apex of the omicron wave as overcome.

"I think we've passed the peak of the omicron wave," he said.

The measures against the number of cases would also have worked.

The central task was the protection of the elderly.

Therefore, you have a relatively low death rate compared to other countries.

But he warns: "We're not really in safe waters yet."

Lauterbach prepared people in Germany for many years to come with the risk of a pandemic.

"We will be dealing with the pandemic for a very long time," he said.

One could think of that in a period of ten years.

Even if you now go into the endemic state, this does not mean a complete all-clear.

"The endemic condition means we will always have outbreaks." There will also be deaths.

The reason is that vaccinations do not have such a strong effect on some people.

The Vice President of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Lars Schaade, also sees the zenith of the omicron wave as passed, but the danger has not yet been averted.

"Our data indicate that the peak of the omicron wave has passed," said Schaade.

This affects the number of cases and also the PCR tests.

"However, the peak for the intensive care units has not yet been reached," he warned.

A safe decline is not yet seen in the number of deaths either.

The situation now enables a gradual and careful withdrawal of the infection control measures - always with careful monitoring of the situation, says Schaade.

However, he warned that the clinics and intensive care units were still heavily burdened, and Omicron was still widespread, which meant that the risk of infection remained high.

In addition, the proportion of the omicron subtype BA.2, which according to the current state of knowledge is even easier to transfer, is increasing.

If this continues to prevail, "it cannot be ruled out that the number of cases will decrease more slowly or increase again," says Schaade.

People at risk would have to be given special protection, said the RKI Vice President.

"It is therefore important to continue to maintain protective measures in hospitals and nursing homes." He warned of particular caution when coming into contact with people at risk.

“Take a test beforehand, even if you are vaccinated or recovered.

Keep your distance and if you meet indoors, it's best to wear a mask and ventilate plenty," he stressed.

He also reiterated the appeal to urgently get vaccinated if you haven't already done so.

The pandemic is not over yet, and Sars-Cov-2 will not go away, said Schaade.

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) meanwhile reported 220,048 positive tests within 24 hours.

That is 20,124 fewer cases than on Friday a week ago, when 240,172 new infections were reported.

The nationwide seven-day incidence fell to 1371.7 from 1385.1 the previous day.

264 people died in connection with the virus.

This increases the number of reported deaths to 120,992.

So far, more than 13 million corona tests have been positive in Germany.