Berlin, Oct. 22 (BNA): Nearly two-thirds of people residing in Germany have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, as the number of cases is steadily rising, the official body for disease control, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), said on Friday. .
In its weekly report published on Thursday, the institute warned of a rise in cases of the Covid-19 virus over the coming months. “It is expected that during the fall and winter, the increase in the number of cases will accelerate,” she said.
The German news agency (dpa) reported that he also indicated a significant increase in outbreaks in medical and care facilities, as well as nursing homes.
By Friday, only 66.1 percent of the population had received two vaccines, while 69.1 percent had been vaccinated at least once. The numbers are lower than in the neighboring countries of Denmark and the Netherlands, but largely the same as in France.
The seven-day infection rate on Friday morning rose to 95.1 per 100,000, exceeding 90 for the first time since mid-May. It was 85.6 on Thursday and 68.7 a week ago.
The reproduction rate – or R-value – is also on the rise, and was set at 1.28 on Friday.
In a survey of the economic costs of the pandemic, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW) predicted that treating Covid patients would cost 180 million euros ($210 million) per week during the winter.
IfW said increasing the vaccination rate would help reduce this.
The prime ministers of Germany’s 16 states, who are holding their annual conference in Königswinter, on Friday were considering a measure calling on the government to keep federal controls in place through the winter.
On Monday, Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn backed allowing the current federal emergency provisions to end when their parliamentary mandate expires on November 25. Then it is up to individual states to enact their own procedures.
Further complicating the situation is the fact that Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government is now ruling in an acting capacity while coalition talks continue.
NS