A German expert has warned that a further 100,000 people will die from Covid if nothing’s done to halt an aggressive fourth wave.
Germany has yesterday registered its highest rate of infection since the pandemic began, with almost 40,000 cases in a day.
“We have to act right now,” said Christian Drosten, who described a real emergency situation.
Doctors in the intensive care Covid ward at Leipzig University Hospital warn this fourth wave could be the worst yet.
Saxony state has the highest seven-day infection rate in Germany at 459 cases per 100,000 people. The national rate is 232.
It also has the lowest take-up of vaccine: 57% of the population here have been immunised.
Will Germany Impose Another Lockdown?
This rise comes after the 16 German states’ leaders discussed how to continue upon ending the emergency state on November 25.
This means the restrictions will expire automatically unless a parliament’s vote will impose them.
Germany’s Health Minister, Jens Spahn, said that it should be possible to remove the emergency state while still keeping some rules.
The rules include wearing masks, proof of vaccination or recovery, or a negative test result.
“We can obviously deal with higher incidences, higher numbers of infections better, much better without overburdening the health system,”
That’s because so many people took the vaccine, Spahn told Deutschlandfunk radio.
“This path from a state of emergency to a state of special caution to a state of normality,” he added.
However, he warned that parts of Germany with low vaccine rates are already having pressure in hospitals.
Nearly 66% of German residents took full vaccination, compared to 63.3% across the EU.
