Intensive care doctors say swift action is needed to prevent critical care wards from being overwhelmed. The warning comes despite the public furor over plans for a strict Easter lockdown, which were quickly rescinded.
German leaders are torn between a third wave of infections and a lockdown-wear publicImage: Ina Fassbender/AFP/Getty Images
A mix of hard lockdown, vaccinations and testing is necessary to "prevent intensive care units from being overflowed," the head of the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, Christian Karagiannidis, told the Rheinische Post newspaper.
Karagiannidis called on ministers to put an immediate stop to any planned openings in light of the rapid rise in cases. "I ask politicians not to abandon hospital staff," he said.
DW speaks to German opposition MP Alexander Graf Lambsdorff
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Reopening plans 'completely inappropriate'
Karagiannidis said the reopening plans, eyed for the weeks and months following Easter, were completely inappropriate and should be withdrawn immediately.
Thomas Strobl, a deputy chairman of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats, also called for a hard lockdown in the face of rising infections. "The truth is that we would need a short all-encompassing lockdown to stop the rapid spread of mutant B.1.1.7," he told the Stuttgarter Zeitung.
A German family in lockdown
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Health officials warned on Friday that the third wave is likely to be more difficult to curb than the previous two, largely because of the more virulent and easily transmitted B.1.1.7 variant.
Spahn: Lockdown needed to avoid 'breaking point'
On Saturday, Health Minister Jens Spahn said Germany needed a strict lockdown to last 10-14 days to reduce the rapid rise of infections caused by the more contagious variant.
"If we look at the numbers, including the developments today, we need another 10-14 days, at least, of properly driving down contacts and movements, a lockdown if you want to call it that, like we had for Easter last year," Spahn said.
On Friday, Spahn said that if Germany did not act now its health system could reach "breaking point" in April.
Earlier this month, Germany eased its restrictions, allowing hairdressers and high street stores to open for business, albeit where customers needed to book by appointments.
Germans spend a fortune on coronavirus pandemic lockdown pets
During the virus pandemic, Germans have bought another million house pets bringing the total to around 35 million. Besides keeping their owners company, the animals were the beneficiaries of €5 billion in pet supplies.
Image: Fabrice Coffrini/Getty Images/AFP
Big eyes and big sales
Last year brick-and-mortar pet supplies retailers had an overall turnover of €4.5 billion ($5.3 billion) for food and things like official pet toys and beds. It was a 4.3% increase over 2019. Online sales came in at around €820 million. Add in wild bird feed, and the industry brought in nearly €5.5 billion during the pandemic year, according to data released by IVH, a pet supply industrial group.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Murat
Puppies for every season
Not surprisingly, man's best friend is no stranger in Germany. With the sales and prices of dogs up in the past year, the country is now home to over 10 million dogs. During the pandemic these dogs were not a luxury but often a companion and a shield against loneliness. Who wouldn't spend a little more — or splurge on gourmet food or a steak — on a beloved family member?
Image: picture-alliance/J. de Cuveland
Cats are the top of the heap
But in Germany, cats are king. Currently there are 15.7 million of them, a quarter of all house pets. Though felines are known for being easy to care for, German fashion legend Karl Lagerfeld's cat Choupette had a life of luxury. Though they lived in France, he was doing what many of his countrymen do. The biggest increase last year was spending for cat snacks and milk. It was up 9.4%.
Image: picture-alliance/Eventpress
Almost 35 million and counting
The country added around a million new pets in the past year. Now 47% of households have some sort of pet but they are not all just cats and dogs. There are 5 million small animals like rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and mice. On top of that there are 3.5 million birds, 1.8 million aquariums and around 1.3 million terrariums for lizards and turtles. Caring for all these animals is big business.
While most people in Germany are required to socially distance, house pets can visit their friends while out walking. Chance encounters like this may be the reason that veterinarians, groomers and dog walkers have been kept busy. These costs and the original purchase of the pets are not in the study. So the real figure for animal spending is much higher than the report's €5 billion.
Image: Fabian Strauch/dpa/picture alliance
Germans are far behind the US
The Germans may love their pets. Yet, by international standards they are laggards. When looking at pet care spending per person in 2019, Germany was in fifth place, according to research done by "The Economist." Ahead of it was Switzerland, France and the UK. In the number one spot was the US, which left everyone in the dust and spent more than double what the Germans shelled out.
Image: Fotolia/quipu
Traveling and eating in style
Though the lion's share of spending goes to pet food, other things are becoming must-haves. Forget ordinary carrying cases, rich pet owners are reaching for Tiffany leashes and Prada carry bags. Others are shopping for Versace food bowls, sweaters from Ralph Lauren or puffy vests by Moncler to keep their pets warm. And that doesn't include all the funny costumes often posted on Instagram.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/D. Lipinski
Working from home, shopping online
Since many people are working from home, it is good news for pets but bad news for pet day care businesses. Yet in general, the pet business has been a winner of coronavirus pandemic lockdowns. A lot is spent in grocery stores or specialty pet shops, but online shopping for pet supplies is growing. Last year, online spending was at least €820 million, a 16% increase over the previous year.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/I. Fassbender
Lockdown friends, for now
While the prices of some animals have gone through the roof recently, many fear criminals are increasingly dealing with animals transporting them from dodgy breeding farms throughout Europe. Others are worried that when the pandemic is over and things go back to normal, owners won't have the time or just no longer want their two or four-legged companions anymore. Animal shelters fear the worst.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Murat
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RKI reports highest incidence rate
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for disease control on Saturday reported its highest seven-day incidence rate per 100,000 inhabitants since mid-January. The rate, which stood at 124.9, was just 119 the day before.
RKI chief Lothar Wieler also warned Germans to reduce their social contacts over the Easter holidays. Wieler told reporters on Friday that if sufficient measures aren't taken, the number of new infections per day could reach or exceed 100,000.
Although 10% of the German population has now received a first dose of the vaccine, the gains from vaccinations are being eaten away by the high infection rate, he said.
The comments come as leaders continue to argue over how to curb the latest surge. Last week, following talks between Chancellor Angela Merkel and the 16 state premiers, officials announced a five-day lockdown over the Easter holiday week. The measure, however, was swiftly rescinded in the face of a public backlash.
Germany reported 20,472 new cases and 157 new deaths on Saturday, bringing the respective totals to 2,755,225 and 75,780 since the start of the pandemic.
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J&J single dose vaccine set for April
Germany is due to receive the first shipment of Johnson & Johnson's single dose COVID-19 vaccine in mid-April, Health Minister Spahn said, giving the country a further boost after a sluggish start to its rollout.
"It will only be a small delivery at first," Spahn said at an online event, adding he expected around 275,000 doses in the week of April 12.
Soon after "it will then be ramped up to millions of doses, as is the case with all deliveries," Spahn added.
Germany's health chief said that, by May, he expects up to 100,000 medical practices nationwide to be administering vaccines.
