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RKI President Wieler, Health Minister Spahn at the press conference on Friday
Photo: Carsten Koall / dpa
In the fight against the corona virus, every second German citizen has now received at least one injection.
41.5 million people - 50.1 percent of the total population - are vaccinated at least once, said Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) in Berlin.
Accordingly, 29.6 percent of the population are fully vaccinated with the second syringe, which is usually necessary.
The progress of the vaccination campaign gives "cause for confidence, but only if we remain careful with it," said Spahn.
He warned of the increase in the delta virus variant discovered in India in Germany.
The virus variant is particularly contagious, "that can lead to success in combating viruses being called into question again," said Spahn.
At the moment it would spread at a low but rapid level in Germany.
"It's not a question of whether Delta will become the leading variant, but when"
According to the latest report by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the proportion of the Delta variant in Germany was 6.2 percent. In the previous week it was 3.7 percent. The President of the RKI, Lothar Wieler, therefore urges caution: "We are very happy and very grateful about how the numbers are developing," said Wieler. But the pandemic is not over. Germany should not now simply gamble away its successes. In this respect, it is important to continue to open “cautiously and in small steps”.
The delta variant is much more contagious than the alpha variant that is still widespread here, according to Wieler.
"It is not a question of whether Delta will become the leading variant, but when." According to Wieler's forecast, she will take over sovereignty in Germany by autumn at the latest.
A look at Great Britain shows that she is attacking younger people.
A vaccination protects well against the much more aggressive variant - but only a complete one.
Too few people are still vaccinated in Germany.
"The masks protect against all variants," said Wieler, they would have to be worn.
Only caution during the summer prevents a sharp increase in the delta virus variant in autumn.
»Better 1000 masks too many than one too few«
Spahn and Wieler therefore continued to advocate extensive testing and wearing of mouth and nose protection indoors and in local traffic.
They were reminiscent of the regression in Great Britain.
Because of the spread of the Delta variant, the British government has postponed the lifting of all corona measures, which was actually planned for June 21, until July 19.
Spahn rejected criticism of the controversial procurement of masks by the Ministry of Health.
The corona crisis is an unprecedented crisis for Germany, they were too poorly prepared.
He had to act actively.
For masks as well as vaccines, the following applies: »Better 1000 too many than one too little.« Better structures are needed for the future in order to be better prepared.
The Federal Audit Office had criticized in an audit report that Spahn had procured far too many masks in a disorderly process and accepted enormous expenses in the process.
Accordingly, he ordered around ten times too many masks than necessary.
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