New record of Covid-19 contagions in Germany, Parliament approves new restrictions

Germany registered a new record in coronavirus contagions which forced the Parliament to approve an emergency package of new restrictions, including for the first time a national curfew. All while mounting the protest against the lockdown, with demonstrations also yesterday in Berlin. The growth of new cases does not stop: according to data from the Robert Koch Institute, the German epidemiological center, 29,518 infections were registered in 24 hours, with an incidence of more than 161 infections per 100,000 inhabitants over seven days.

In parallel, there are 259 deaths related to COVID-19, which brings the total number of victims in the Federal Republic, from the beginning of the pandemic to 80,893, while the total number of people who contracted the Coronavirus exceeded 3.21 million.

The third wave of the coronavirus worries chancellor Angela Merkel and the German government. The Bundestag, the federal Parliament, yesterday passed that “emergency brake” which has been talked about for days by majority vote. Now, there is only the green light from the Bundesrat which will examine the measures today. The big news is that the measures will have a national character, removing for the first time from the beginning of the pandemic some specific competencies from the Laender, and will automatically trigger where the incidence rate will exceed 100 infections per 100 thousand inhabitants.

Among the restrictions, there is also a night curfew at 10 pm. The text also provides for the closure of most of the shops, a limit to gatherings: in practice, only family members plus an outsider can be brought together; children under 14 are excluded. And be careful: because if the incidence were to break through 165, actually 161 at the national level, schools should resort to distance learning. A maximum of 30 people would be allowed to attend the funerals and public ceremonies.

In such a critical context, the campaign on anti-Covid vaccines continues unabated. To speed up the vaccination campaigns, three Laender (Mecklenburg, Bavaria, and Saxony) have decided to ‘liberalize’ AstraZeneca administration by allowing anyone to get vaccinated regardless of age and other priorities. There is no dose to lose, much less waste. The green light comes despite the recommendation of the health authority for the administration of the vaccine doses only to the over 60s. A specific medical evaluation will suffice and those under 60 years old will be able to receive the Anglo-Swedish vaccine.