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Germany Reports Record Number of New Corona Infections Yet Again

In Germany, the number of new Corona infections is not decreasing, as it is supposed to, but rising. The same applies to the country’s Incidence Number.

Berlin, December 19th, 2020 (The Berlin Spectator) — In the Federal Republic of Germany, 31,300 new Corona infection cases were reported within 24 hours. The number the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) released on Friday was higher, but it contained late registrations from the day before. This aspect makes today’s number the highest one in the Corona crisis. Germany’s Seven Day Incidence Number reached its highest level as well. It now stands at 189.6.

Number of Deaths Remains High

Since yesterday, 702 Corona patients died in Germany. The highest number of deaths was reported on Wednesday, when 952 persons died of COVID-19. According to the RKI, the total number of Corona-related deaths in Germany is 24,938.

Within Germany, Saxony remains the country’s Corona hotspot. The federal state has a Seven Day Incidence Number of 415, which is extremely high. In Berlin, the Incidence Number rose again, to 202.5. Six of Berlin’s districts exceeded 200. In the German capital, 1,545 new Corona cases were reported, while 1,482 Corona patients are being treated at hospitals.

Situation at ICUs to Remain Tense

Because Brandenburg’s hospitals could not cope with its Corona patients anymore, Berlin accepted 51 of them on Friday. In other parts of Germany, persons with COVID-19 are being moved around from hospital to hospital as well. Heidelberg’s University Clinic just sent four of them to hospitals in Stuttgart and Ulm, where they are now being treated. This was a precautionary measure, a spokesperson stated. Because of bad weather, they had to be driven in ambulances. Helicopters could not take off under those conditions.

According to the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Car Medicine, the situation in Germany’s ICU will be tense for several more weeks. The organization’s president Uwe Janssen told the ‘Rheinische Post’ daily, the Corona vaccinations would likely start showing a positive effect in March or April.

Corona Vaccinations and Population Groups

On Friday, Germany’s Health Minister Jens Spahn talked about the chronological order population groups will be vaccinated in. Generally, vaccinations are supposed to commence on December 27th, 2020, in all European Union countries. Spahn said in an interview with the ARD media network, persons over 80 years of age and their caretakers would be vaccinated first.

The second group will include persons from 70 years of age, people suffering from dementia, those with trisomy 21, transplant patients, as well as residents of homeless shelters and of homes for asylum seekers. Persons between 60 and 70 are part of the third vaccination group, along with chronically ill patients, but also educators, teachers and retail business employees.

Berlin will likely receive less Corona vaccination doses than initially planned. Health Senator Dilek Kalayci told RBB TV, 18,000 doses would be delivered to Berlin at first. This amount was not even enough for the residents of all of the city’s nursing homes. In the first quarter of 2021, Berlin, a city of 3.8 million inhabitants, is supposed to receive 550,000 doses.

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