Published 17:18 IST, October 22nd 2020
COVID-19 situation in Germany 'very serious', health official urges compliance
Germany is facing a “very serious” rise in COVID19 cases, the head of Robert Koch Institute said.Lothar Wieler said that it was because of private gatherings
Advertisement
Germany is facing a “very serious” rise in coronavirus cases, the head of Robert Koch Institute said on October 22. Addressing media reporters from Berlin, Lothar Wieler asserted that it was because of “private gatherings”, especially amongst the youth, that had led to the dramatic rise in the COVID-19 cases. However, touting a solution for the same he went on to reckon that “systematic compliance with restrictive measures" could help better the situation.
Germany reports another high
Germany which was one of the initial countries to curb the spread coronavirus pandemic is currently witnessing a surge in cases. The EU nation on October 22, reported another high with over 11,287 new infections. As per statistics, Thursday’s caseload exceeds the previous record of 7,830 recorded on October 16 and a marks a steep jump from 7,595 cases reported on October 21. With the latest rise, the nationwide total now stands at 3,97,922 reported COVID-19 cases and 9,913 deaths, the latest tally of John Hopkins University revealed.
In the city of Essen, the public assembly has been limited to 25, from the earlier 50, mandating the face-masks at all times in public buildings. Whereas, Berlin and Cologne a nightly curfew have been imposed following the surge.
Last week, an aide to Chancellor Angela Merkel reportedly said that with hard months to come and a stricter clampdown, people will have to stop the travel and partying, where infection chains spread mostly. Chancellor's chief of staff, Helge Braun, told public broadcaster ARD that the country had plans to cap the total number of people allowed in public premises, much like England, unfortunately, imposing sweeping measures to curb transmission rate as country battles the second wave.
According to the sources of the local broadcaster Deutsche Welle, Germany’s western city of Essen exceeded far beyond the nation’s key coronavirus threshold, with Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt, and Stuttgart reporting daily alarming spikes in infections that prompted authorities to tighten measures.
17:19 IST, October 22nd 2020