The peak of the fifth corona wave has clearly been overcome in Germany.

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) came to this conclusion in its latest weekly report on the pandemic after the seven-day incidence had fallen by 19 percent since the previous week.

"The current wave has now clearly passed its peak," says the report, which was published on Thursday evening.

The number of new infections fell in all age groups and in almost all federal states.

Nevertheless, the "infection pressure" is still classified as "very high": more than a million cases were reported to the RKI within a week.

The proportion of positive results in all PCR tests has fallen, but at 52 percent it is still significantly higher than in previous waves of infection.

Hospitals heavily burdened

The RKI also describes the burden on the healthcare system as “still high”.

However, more than in previous waves of infection, the problems in hospitals are due to staff shortages because employees have become infected themselves or are in quarantine as contact persons.

The number of patients in intensive care units infected with the corona virus fell to 2111 in the reporting week.

In view of the protective measures that have recently been abolished, it now depends particularly on the prudence and consideration of the population whether the favorable trend will continue, warns the RKI.

The course of the pandemic will also be decided by “the extent to which possible infection-related contacts increase” after access restrictions to restaurants, for example, have been lifted in most federal states and the obligation to wear masks has been restricted to a few areas.