RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – New coronavirus infections are accelerating again in Germany, just days after social restrictions were relaxed, raising concerns that the pandemic may once again slip out of control.
The Robert Koch Institute for disease control said in a daily bulletin the number of people each sick person now infects – known as the reproduction rate, or R – had risen to 1.1. When it goes above 1, it means the number of infections is growing.
Chancellor Angela Merkel, bowing to pressure from leaders of Germany’s 16 federal states to restart social life and revive the economy, announced on Wednesday, May 6th, measures that included more store openings and a gradual return to school.
At the same time, she launched an “emergency brake” that allows restrictions to be reimposed if infections accelerate again.
Karl Lauterbach, a Social Democrat deputy and epidemiology professor, warned that new cases of coronavirus could quickly spread again after seeing large crowds out on Saturday in his home city of Cologne.
“The relaxation of measures was very poorly prepared,” Lauterbach said in a tweet.
The Robert Koch Institute reported 667 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours on Sunday. The country totals 169,218 cases. Twenty-six deaths in 24 hours have also been recorded, totaling 7,395 deaths from Covid-19.
Source: G1