In 10 out of 16 federal states, the 7-day incidence of new corona infections has increased in the past week. This emerges from the weekly report of the Robert Koch Institute on Thursday evening. Nationwide, the incidence increased by two percent between the week before last and the last week.
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The reason for the current increase in Covid-19 cases is probably the easier transferability of the omicron subtype BA.2 and the withdrawal of contact-reducing measures. Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach and RKI President Lothar Wieler want to explain the situation on Friday.
“The further course of the pandemic depends to a large extent on how the behavior of the population changes and to what extent possible contacts relevant to infection increase,” says the weekly report. A further increase in the number of cases cannot be ruled out.
The RKI reported a record number of new corona infections on Thursday: the authority had registered 262,752 cases within 24 hours and thus more than 250,000 new infections in one day for the first time.
The nationwide 7-day incidence had climbed to 1388.5. According to the weekly report, the highest incidences are still recorded in the group of 5 to 24 year olds. The last time it was there was around 2,000 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in seven days. In people aged 65 and over, the 7-day incidence stagnated in the previous week.
In view of the increasing number of infections, Lauterbach called for more vaccinations on Thursday. The gap is so large that “without a significant improvement in vaccination willingness and vaccination rates, we will have significant problems again in the fall,” said the SPD politician. If the growing omicron wave is not controlled, there would be 200 to 300 deaths every day for many weeks. “We can’t put up with that.”
According to the weekly report, the proportion of the more easily transmissible omicron subtype BA.2 in a sample rose to 48 percent by the end of February. The week before, the figure was still 38 percent. In a population with high levels of immunity – through vaccination or infection – BA.2 does not cause more severe disease than the original omicron subtype BA.1. (dpa)
