Germany Faces COVID-19 Surge Despite Full Lockdown... 731 Deaths in a Day

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Onyu Lim] Despite Germany entering a full lockdown last week, closing schools, shops, and other establishments, it has not been able to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

According to data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany's equivalent of a disease control agency, on the 22nd (local time), the country reported 19,528 new COVID-19 cases. The daily death toll reached 731. The number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people over a one-week period rose to 197.6, marking an all-time high.

The German government aims to reduce the number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people over a one-week period to below 50.

RKI President Lothar Wieler said at a press conference that day, "We continue to break records for the highest numbers. Please minimize contact to the most essential level. The virus feeds on contact," adding, "It will still take a few more weeks before the number of confirmed cases starts to decrease again."

He stated, "Those over 80 years old and nursing homes are the hardest hit," and added, "The number of severe patients requiring intensive care has exceeded 5,000, the highest ever, and 2,700 of them require ventilators."

He warned, "In mid to late October, there were 380 COVID-19 deaths, but by the end of November, there were 2,500, and in the second week of December, 3,000 people died from COVID-19," and said, "There are still people who do not take the virus seriously and lie about their symptoms, but from now on, it depends on all of us."

Regarding the possibility of the mutated COVID-19 virus entering Germany, although it has not been detected, he responded that the likelihood is "very, very high."

The German government is accelerating preparations for COVID-19 vaccinations starting on the 27th. Vaccinations will begin in nursing homes, with separate mobile teams visiting to administer the vaccine.

German Health Minister Jens Spahn tweeted that after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved the emergency use of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, "Vaccinations will begin in Germany from the 27th, starting with the most vulnerable groups," and added, "By the end of this year, 1.3 million doses of the vaccine will be distributed across the country's 16 states."

He forecasted, "At least 670,000 doses of the vaccine will be distributed weekly starting in January next year." This means that by the end of January next year, 4 million doses of the vaccine can be administered in Germany.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.