Several health professionals in recent days have reported a new influx of patients into hospitals, the vast majority of whom are unvaccinated. The number of hospitalized COVID patients increased by 40% in one week
Pollution resumes in nursing homes, infections surge, vaccinations halt: Concern about Covid resurfaces in Germany as the country searches for a new government.
Angela Merkel, who is in charge of running current affairs before a new team was formed led by Social Democrat Olaf Schulz, sounded the alarm this weekend.
The current development in hospitals and the number of deaths “worries me greatly (…) and should concern us all”, the chancellor announced on the sidelines of the last summit of the Group of Twenty in Rome, which faced the Covid-19 virus, its most serious case. Crisis 16 years in office.
“with peace of mind”
Time is “again for a certain recklessness”, with many restrictions lifted in recent months, Angela Merkel laments, while recent numbers are not good.
The epidemic is growing again in a country that was hit hard last fall and this winter, but thought it had partly turned the page on the epidemic. About 9,658 new cases were officially identified on Monday, or 3,085 more cases than the previous Monday. The infection rate in seven days was 154.8, compared to 149.4 the day before and 110.1 the day before, according to the Robert Koch Institute for Health Control.
As has often been the case since the beginning of the epidemic, the eastern regions – bordering the Czech Republic or Poland – are particularly hard hit, with Thuringia recording 314.9 cases, just ahead of Saxony (291.6).
Several health professionals in recent days have reported a new influx of patients into hospitals, the vast majority of whom are unvaccinated. Admissions of Covid patients to hospitals increased by 40% within a week, according to the German Hospital Association. In intensive care the increase is up to 15%.
Sources of pollution
With this procession of bad personalities appear again centers of pollution, especially in homes for the elderly. In an institution in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern region, 66 of the 83 residents were infected and 14 died, after a wave of infection possibly triggered by a party organization in early October. Only 6% of the population was not vaccinated but nearly one in three members of the administration did not receive a dose, which undoubtedly accelerated contamination.
Faced with this deterioration, the chancellor warned that action must be taken quickly, possibly as early as this week, at a summit bringing together the government and German regions.
These cases have revived the debate over a possible compulsory vaccination of nursing workers, with support from 72% of the public. Unlike countries such as France or Italy, it is not present in Germany, where the authorities fear that it will be accused of violating public liberties.