Germany sees rise in coronavirus cases after easing lockdown restrictions

Amid concerns of fresh clusters, health authorities in Germany reported 900 new cases of the deadly coronavirus in less than a week surging the cases threefold and bringing the total to 173,171, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for public health and disease control report. The infection rate of the COVID-19 – called the “R” rate - has remained above 1 for the past three days, which earlier, Germany had brought to 0.3 that slowed the spread of the disease. 

In a report released by the public health agency as of May 12, the reproduction rate (R) shot up to an estimated 1.07 from 1.03, while on Sunday alone, this number had increased to 1.13. This number indicates that 1 percent COVID-19 positive could infect at least 107 others or more accelerating the fears of cluster outbreak and widespread transmission. This implies, the re-imposition of lockdown measures in Germany due to a possibility of resurgence. 

Merkel was quoted as saying, while speaking at the press conference, that the very first phase of the pandemic was over, but it was the overall beginning of the coronavirus outbreak. Further, she added, coronavirus could have a fresh wave of the outbreak as lockdown measures eased and warned that if the rate rises above 1, the country's health system would be overwhelmed and might collapse.  

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Follow basic safety commandments

With the seventh-highest number of coronavirus cases globally, Germany reopened businesses. Further, the country announced that it would gradually return to resuming schools and the Bundesliga - Germany's top football league – over the next weekend, local media reports confirmed. Meanwhile, when Germany is easing its lockdown restrictions, Merkel warned people to follow social distancing measures and stick to the basic commandments. 

Earlier, in its response to the outbreak, Germany earned acknowledgment for its abrupt mass testing and sweeping containment guidelines that had controlled the death toll too far lower than other European nations, as per media reports. However, Merkel's decision to relax those measures had earned backlash after the country suspended “emergency brake”. In the latest, the COVID-19 infection rate spike could imply the start of the outbreak again, according to reports. 

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(Image Credit: AP)