(Fighting against New Coronary Pneumonia) Health ministers of German states call for preparations for a new wave of epidemics in autumn and winter
China News Agency, Berlin, May 17 (Reporter Ma Xiuxiu) The health ministers of the German states and the German Federal Minister of Health Lauterbach held a video conference on the 16th.
Meanwhile, state health ministers called for a master plan to deal with a possible new wave of infections starting in the fall.
According to German TV 1 and German "Time Online", after a video conference with Lauterbach, Saxony-Anhalt Health Minister Pietra Grim-Benner pointed out that the new crown epidemic is not over yet, people One should not be deceived by the current declining national incidence rate.
Instead, Germany must prepare for the possibility of a new wave of infections starting in the autumn.
"We have to take into account that new virus variants may emerge in autumn and winter".
State health ministers say changes to protection laws are necessary.
The states unanimously decided to ask the federal government to initiate the legislative process in a timely manner.
For example, starting in the fall, indoor spaces have re-required mandatory wearing of masks; re-required proof of vaccinations, recovery or negative tests, etc.
Lauterbach welcomed the advice of the state health ministers.
He said the federal states must be able to respond to a possible new wave of outbreaks.
"We have to prepare for the cold season and a clear legal framework is part of that."
Lauterbach had previously warned of a possible comeback of the delta strain.
The delta strain causes more severe illness than the current Omicron variant.
According to data released by the Robert Koch Institute of the German CDC on the 17th, as of that day, a total of 25,818,405 people had been diagnosed in Germany, an increase of 86,252 from the previous day; the cumulative number of deaths was 137,714, an increase of 215 from the previous day; Germany The new crown incidence rate index used to monitor the severity of the epidemic (the average cumulative number of new diagnoses per 100,000 people in seven days) dropped to 437.6.
(Finish)