German COVID cases are growing 'exponentially' again
March 16, 2021
A leading expert has warned an easing of restrictions has led Germany to the brink of a third wave. Intensive care doctors warn that partial lockdown measures must be put back in place.
Intensive care doctors say some measures should be put back in place to avoid another resurgenceImage: Bernd Wüstneck/dpa/picture alliance
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The number of coronavirus cases in Germany grew 20% in the past week, as lockdown restrictions are gradually eased, an expert at the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases (RKI) said Tuesday.
The figures were released as the country's intensive care doctors warn of the need for an "immediate return" to partial lockdown to stave off a dangerous third wave of coronavirus cases.
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What are the latest fears?
RKI epidemiologist Dirk Brockmann told German broadcaster ARD that the loosening of measures was particularly unhelpful given the exponential growth that has occurred with the British virus variant B117.
"We are exactly on the flank of the third wave. That can no longer be disputed. And, at this point, we have eased the restrictions and that is speeding up the exponential growth," RKI epidemiologist Dirk Brockmann told German broadcaster ARD.
"It has been totally been irrational to loosen up here. It's just fueling this exponential growth."
German intensive care doctors on Monday warned that some measures should be put back in place to avoid another resurgence.
"From the data we currently have and with the spread of the British mutation, we would argue strongly to return immediately into a lockdown to avoid a strong third wave," Christian Karagiannidis, director of Germany's intensive care register, told broadcaster RBB.
The RKI on Tuesday reported 5,480 new cases over 24 hours, bringing the total to 2,581,329.
The number of deaths rose by 238, to 73,656.
Germany halts AstraZeneca vaccine use
Despite ongoing vaccination rollout delays, several countries have suspended use of AstraZeneca's COVID vaccine over multiple reports of blood clotting issues developing in people after vaccination.
Germany, Italy and France became the lastest countries to halt use of the vaccine on Monday as a precautionary measure.
How have restrictions been loosened?
Shops and stores are allowed to open for a limited number of customers, if the seven-day incidence is less than 50 per 100,000 people for a particular district.
Retailers can arrange appointments with a limited number of shoppers, if the incidence number is 100 or less.
Bookshops, flower shops and garden centers have reopened in most regions.
Museums and art galleries are allowed to open under certain conditions or by appointment. In some states, this will depend on the regional seven-day incidence.
Hairdressers and barbers have already been open since March 1. But from Monday, cosmetics, nail bars, massage or tattoo studios can also reopen under strict conditions.
When it comes to contact restrictions, in many places, people from one household can meet with another household in private. But the maximum number of people cannot exceed five adults plus children.
Up to 10 people can participate in non-contact outdoor sports if the incidence rate is below 50. A maximum of five people from two households can do sports outside up to a seven-day incidence rate of 100.
Children up to the age of 14 can play sports outside in groups of up to 20.
Germany's federal government is now financing at least one free rapid coronavirus test per week for every citizen.
Virus bomber and corona hair: The Germans' creative pandemic language
Ever since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis a year ago, people in Germany have been using new words. Here are some of the terms that emerged from the pandemic.
Image: Weber/ Eibner-Pressefoto/picture alliance
Lockdown
"Lockdown" and "shutdown" have became part of everyday vocabulary in Germany. And since they're also combined with descriptive terms, the possibilities of creating new words are endless: "hard" and "light" were the most popular, but "yo-yo," referring to ever-changing lockdown rules, was another one, as well as "Flockdown," when heavy snow ("Flocken"=flakes) keeps everyone inside anyway.
Image: Rupert Oberhäuser/picture alliance
Maskenmuffel
The term Maskenmuffel, which combines the words mask and the colloquial word for grump quickly emerged last year when people in Germany, too, were required to wear face masks in trains, on busses and in stores. Some "grumps" refuse to wear facial coverings — but face fines if caught.
Image: picture alliance / ZB
Abstandsbier
Remember packed bars and crowded beer gardens? These days, Germans can count themselves lucky if they can get together for what has emerged as Abstandsbier — literally a "distance beer," a neologism that refers to having a drink with someone while keeping a safe distance.
Image: Wolfram Steinberg/dpa/picture alliance
Corona-Matte
In mid-December 2020, hair salons in Germany were closed down. Their customers' hair didn't stop growing, which led to the neologism "corona mat." To everyone's great relief the salons were allowed to reopen on March 1 because of what was deemed their "importance for personal hygiene." No gardening shears required.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/H. Ringhofer
Distanzunterricht
When schools are shut down, that means online classes and remote learning courses for teachers and students. The German term for this, "Distanzunterricht" translates as "distance classes." The alternative came with overloaded servers and technical glitches: the present situation shows how badly German schools struggle with digitalization.
Image: picture-alliance/Eibner-Pressefoto/Weber
Impfdrängler
The issue of vaccinations is a touchy one in Germany, with vaccines trickling in much too slowly and confusion surrounding the effectiveness of one particular vaccine for older people. Meanwhile, some people who weren't on the priority list used their position to jump the queue and get vaccinated sooner. But "Impfdrängler," or vaccine cheats, face hefty fines.
Image: Patrick Pleul/dpa/picture alliance
Wellenbrecher
In reactions to the different waves of COVID infections, the restrictions set up in Germany were referred to as a "Wellenbrecher," a wave-breaker, or breakwater. The term was used extensively last fall when stricter measures were introduced like a kind of protective structure to stem another wave of infections.
Image: K. Schmitt/Fotostand/picture alliance
Virenbomber
Wherever you look, there is the "fight" or the "war" against the virus. So the "Virenbomber" (virus bomber) is a fitting image, referring to people or perhaps even institutions that allegedly contribute greatly to the spread of COVID-19.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/PA/Jordan
Homeoffice
Germans call working from home instead of from the office "home office." It is not a new term, but has been used much more frequently during the pandemic. The German government stipulates that employers must offer their employees the option to work from home wherever possible to bring down infection numbers.
