Corona in Germany: Reproduction number increased again significantly - New outbreak due to private parties

Does Germany have the corona pandemic under control? Now there is new data from the health authorities. In the afternoon there was a "data chaos" at the RKI.

• The risk of the coronavirus * has not yet been averted, but Germany seems to be on the right track.
• The Robert Koch Institute has published current figures on the corona situation in Germany (update from May 29; 6.15 a.m.), but failed (3.30 p.m.).
• In Göttingen, several people become infected after private celebrations (update from May 30, 11:06 a.m.).
• Here you will find the basic facts about the corona virus * and current case numbers in Germany as a map *. The following corona protective measures currently apply *. All information on the subject is also available on our Facebook page Corona News.

Update from May 30, 11:06 a.m .:   As reported by the health office in Göttingen , which is responsible for the city and district, several families in their area of ​​responsibility were infected with the corona virus at private celebrations . 

The health department, which also has the Pentecost weekend tested and informs contact persons , reports of a number of contact persons "in the three-digit range". According to current knowledge, 57 children are also affected, and schools and daycare centers are being informed. 

At the beginning of the Pentecost weekend, numerous campsites are open again. Holidaymakers from Upper Bavaria have reported massive interest, as Merkur.de * reports. Traffic jams are expected at the weekend.

Coronavirus - Norderney: At the beginning of the Pentecost weekend, numerous leisure activities are possible again

© dpa / Rolf Vennenbern d

A study is now providing important insights into the strategy to further contain the virus : Super spreaders may play a major role.

Coronavirus in Germany: RKI increases again according to RKI data

Update from May 29, 8:40 p.m .: New corona numbers from Germany: The number of  reproductions , or R-value for short,  has increased. According to the latest information from the Robert Koch Institute on Friday, the R value was 0.85 (data as of May 29, 0:00; previous day: 0.61). This means that ten infected people infect more than eight other people on average. The R value shows the infection process approximately one and a half weeks beforehand.

Since mid-May that gives RKI also a so-called seven-days-R on. It refers to a longer period and is therefore less subject to daily fluctuations. According to RKI estimates, this value (data as of May 29, 00:00) was 0.85 (previous day: 0.78). It shows the infection process 8 to 16 days ago.

So far, according to RKI information, 8,450 have been proven to have been infected with the virus , increasing the number of reported deaths by 39 within 24 hours; According to RKI estimates , 164,100 people survived the infection , 900 more than a day earlier.

Coronavirus in Germany: Restaurant in Leer closed after an outbreak

Update of May 29, 19:19: After numerous infections with coronavirus after the reopening of a restaurant in Lower Saxony Moormerland ( Leer district ), the restaurant is closed for the time being. 

Corresponding media reports confirmed the host's lawyer on Friday. According to a report by the “Ostfriesenzeitung”, the landlord no longer wants to continue running the business alone, but within a company that is currently being founded. As soon as this was notarized, a new permit would be applied for on their behalf. He expects that the bar will reopen with the company as the operator.

Several dozen people had contracted the coronavirus in connection with an event that opened the restaurant . The operator always emphasized that all protective measures had been observed.

Corona / Germany: "Data chaos" at the RKI? Researchers explain hackhack around numbers

Update from May 29, 3:30 p.m .: There was already a data chaos at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) on Friday - at the request of the Ippen-Digital central editorial team , the scientists explained the current, somewhat confusing data situation.

In the current crisis, data would be published “with as little delay as possible,” said a RKI spokeswoman. For this reason, it can sometimes happen that data is also published "before quality controls and validations". 

Specifically, a software update in Baden-Württemberg and Saxony is to blame for the fact that the number of cases declined - and later rose again in the case of the southwestern federal state. In Saarland was made due to "data quality checks" a correction.

Update from May 29, 1:32 p.m .: At a party in a restaurant in the district of Leer (Lower Saxony), guests became infected with the corona virus. The authorities in East Frisia are now aware of 34 cases that are directly linked to the reopening of the “ Alte Scheune ” on May 15th. 217 people are currently in quarantine. The operator of the restaurant has returned his license now says NDR.de . The host anticipated the community. The had given the restaurateur the license only with reservation, since the certificate of good conduct was not available in time. 

Corona in Germany: what is wrong with the RKI numbers?

Update of May 29, 11.30 a.m .: According to the Infection Protection Act, health authorities have to report coronavirus infections to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) . The RKI publishes the transmitted case numbers daily on its website. In the overview with figures from the federal states on Friday (May 29), values ​​are now corrected. These are marked with an asterisk (*) and refer to an explanation. According to the RKI, there was an increase of 350 corona cases in Baden-Württemberg - however this number is marked with an asterisk. 

 “Due to a software update on May 27, 2020, 410 cases fewer validated cases were transmitted from a district in Baden-Württemberg than before. 240 of these cases were corrected and retransmitted yesterday. Today they are shown as part of the difference from the previous day, ”explains the RKI behind the reference. In Saxony and Saarland fewer cases were reported than yesterday. This is currently being examined. 

"RKI is sinking into the corona data chaos", tweets the world journalist Olaf Gersemann. "The fact that the reporting discipline of urban and rural districts is apparently slowly waning (which can significantly impair the reliability and comparability of daily data) is not an issue for the RKI either."  

RKI is sinking into # Corona data chaos 8/8

. The RKI does not address the fact that the reporting discipline of urban and rural districts is apparently waning slowly (which can significantly impair the reliability and comparability of daily data).

Corona virus in Germany: reliable tracking of infections 

Update from May 29, 11:11 am : According to the health authorities, the tracking of corona infections is currently manageable. "At the moment, the situation is comparatively relaxed," said Markus Mempel from the German District Council to the news agency dpa. 

The Federal Association of Doctors of the Public Health Service also currently certifies that the authorities have good management in the persecution of contact persons. "The health authorities are reliable and prompt," said association chairwoman Ute Teichert of dpa. 

But she also warned: "If the number of infections rises again across the board, the health authorities with the current staffing levels will not be able to consistently track the contact persons." She called for an economic stimulus program for the public health service.

Corona outbreak at Pentecostal in Bremerhaven

Update of May 29, 8:44 a.m .: 20 believers of a Pentecostal church in Bremerhaven have been infected with the corona virus, reports Nord24.de. 43 other members of the parish are therefore in quarantine. The authorities assume that those affected have become infected in services. 

Corona crisis: "Maybe we will avoid a second shutdown" - virologist Christian Drosten

Update of May 29, 7:37 a.m .: The virologist Christian Drosten * from the Charité in Berlin believes that there is a chance of getting into autumn and winter lightly without vaccination. "Without a deadly new second wave," Drosten said on Thursday in the NDR podcast. For this, it is necessary to readjust the current measures. According to the Japanese model, one should aim strongly at the early detection of so-called superspreading events : cases in which an infected person infects an above-average number of other people.

Contact persons should then be regarded as infected and isolated without prior diagnosis in order to prevent further infections . For example, if a teacher shows an infection, look at the classes he taught last - these students would have to stay at home for a week or two, but you don't have to close the whole school, Drosten says. Japan's infection curve "crawls" downwards, but the strategy was not communicated aggressively there for a long time.

Drosten emphasized that many of the measures already in place in Germany  prevented possible superspreading events . It is now assumed that the majority of those infected infect very few or no other people.

"Maybe we'll miss a second shutdown," the scientist also said to the mirror . There is now a “theoretical possibility” that the Germans “get through without a second wave”. Since science knows more about the virus, it is easier to control the infection process. Above all, a few so-called super spreaders would pass it on to many people. 

The period of quarantine may in the opinion of virologist Drosten on a good week be shortened. "The incubation period and the time in which you are contagious are all much shorter than initially thought," Drosten told the mirror .  

A very encouraging perspective from Japan. This corresponds to what I discussed in the podcast yesterday and last week. Tomorrow the topic continues. https://t.co/3ue9Phtapz

Corona virus in Germany: Berlin allows open-air concerts - new rules for pubs too

Update of May 29, 6:34 a.m .: Berlin is following a nationwide trend and eases its measures to contain the corona pandemic. Pubs, gyms, contact restrictions as well as cinema, concerts and open-air events are affected.

• From June 2, open-air events such as concerts and cinema with up to 200 participants are allowed. From June 16, up to 500 people and from June 30, 1,000 people are admitted.

• Gyms and commercial sports facilities may also reopen from June 2nd.
• Gaming halls may reopen from June 2nd.
• Open-air cinemas may reopen from June 2nd. Cinemas from June 30th.
• Weddings , funerals and similar private encounters are again allowed for up to 50 guests.
• Pubs and bars can reopen from June 2nd. However, guests must take a seat at tables. Restaurants and inns have been open since May 15th.
• From June 2nd, there will be no limit to the number of participants for open-air demos .  

Pubs:
Pure pubs (guests are only allowed to be served at tables), smoking restaurants, shisha restaurants, shisha bars may be opened from 2 June 2020 (until 11 p.m.).

RKI: 7908 active corona cases in Germany

Update from May 29, 6:15 a.m .: According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), 741 corona cases were reported within 24 hours in Germany. Compared to the previous day, 39 further deaths have been registered in connection with Covid-19 (as of May 29; 6.22 a.m.). Around 164,100 people have survived the infection.

• 180,458 coronavirus infections have thus far been reported in Germany, including 8,450 deaths.
• The RKI currently assumes 7,908 active coronavirus cases .

Coronavirus in Germany: RKI - number of new infections 

Update of May 28, 10:21 p.m .: The declining trend in the number of new corona infections in Germany continues. The health authorities reported 353 new infections to the Robert Koch Institute within one day. This means that since the beginning of the Corona crisis, 179,717 people in Germany have been demonstrably infected with Sars-CoV-2 , as the RKI reported on Thursday (data status May 28th - midnight).

Corona infections in Germany: The peak took place on April 2, 2020

On April 2, the number of new infections had reached its peak with around 6,500 . Since then, the numbers - with daily fluctuations - have decreased continuously. According to the RKI, 8411 have been reported to have died from the virus, which means that the number of deaths reported has risen by 62 within 24 hours . According to RKI estimates , 163,200 people survived the infection , 400 more than the day before.

According to the latest information from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the number of reproductions, or R-value for short, was 0.61 on Thursday (data status May 28, 0:00; Tuesday 0.68). This means that ten infected people infect about seven other people on average . The R value shows the infection process approximately one and a half weeks beforehand.

The declining trend in corona infections in Germany continues.

© dpa / Jean-Christophe Bott

Since mid-May, the RKI has also given a so-called 7-day R. It refers to a longer period and is therefore less subject to daily fluctuations. According to RKI estimates, this value (data as of May 28, midnight) was 0.78. It shows the infection process 8 to 16 days ago.

According to the RKI, around a quarter of all counties have not registered any new infections within seven days . Only a handful of districts or urban districts have more than 25 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants and week. However, the RKI information can lag behind the local numbers due to reporting delays.

Corona in Germany: "Second wave of very real danger" - major outbreak at UPS

Update from May 28, 5.25 pm: At the logistics group  UPS in Langenhagen near Hanover,  72 employees at the distribution center were infected with the corona virus. This was announced by the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Hanover Region on Thursday. 55 employees, whose test was initially negative, should be tested again. The region also said that Covid 19 cases in a daycare center and a school in Hanover were related to the  infection process at UPS . Families with a professional connection to the company were asked to be vigilant about any symptoms of illness. According to current knowledge, parcel deliverers are not affected. Consignments could therefore be received without risk.

After there was a steady increase in cases after the first infection in mid-May, the health department and the company identified the affected departments on May 18, the region said. The hygiene measures * had been checked on site to ensure that the distances in the workflow were observed. Masks have been mandatory on the company premises since mid-May. As a precaution, the health authority had another 80 employees tested on Tuesday - the result for 55 was negative.

Meanwhile, despite Corona, hundreds of Muslims celebrated the end of Ramadan at a German IKEA branch.

Coronavirus in Germany: Restaurant in Leer as a negative example 

Original article from May 28th: The corona virus  is still omnipresent in Germany, even if steps towards normalization have been taken bit by bit in the recent past. Gastronomy can welcome guests again, more and more leisure facilities are allowed to open and even summer vacations don't seem to be excluded. In addition, the contact terms were extended to June 29, but at the same time relaxed a little.

How insidious the virus is, however, is shown in the example of Leer (Lower Saxony). A restaurant there made an  inglorious headline because of a corona outbreak . Critics therefore complain that the opening of the catering trade may have come too early. 

Proponents of the easing argue with the falling number of cases * - and have been able to justify this with a new factor since Thursday (May 28). 

Corona in Germany: fewer infected people than dead - statistics from the RKI give hope

On Wednesday (May 27), the number of active coronavirus cases (8,106) was again lower than the number of people who died from Covid-19 (8,411), according to the Robert Koch Institute . 

There is also positive news from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania . There were no new Corona cases in northern Germany on Wednesday (May 27) - for the sixth time in a row. 

For the first time, the number of active # coronavirus cases in (8106) is smaller than the number of deceased (8411). This is clear from the new RKI daily statistics. @ Welt pic.twitter.com/KBLrATVnTh

During the strict lockdown regulations, the Germans showed solidarity - but that did not last long, as a study published now shows.

Coronavirus in Germany: Reproduction number continuously below 1 - the R factor in the positive range

Infection numbers in Germany have been stable for days. According to the RKI, the Federal Republic currently has 179,364 laboratory-confirmed Covid 19 cases , including 8,349 deaths ( as of May 27 ). The number of unreported cases * is of course somewhat higher, but if you look at the new infections every day, it is noticeable that the second wave, which some feared soon, has so far not materialized. The most important indicator is the so-called reproductive number * , i.e. the number of people infected on average by an infected person. 

In March the R-value was continuously much higher. It currently fluctuates between 0.6 and 0.7. This means that a Covid 19 patient infects less than another person. 
The conclusion now suggests that the numbers would increase if the easing persisted. Why is this not currently recognizable?

Corona virus in Germany: Why the new infections do not increase despite loosening

The virologist Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit sees three reasons in particular for the currently low infection rate: the avoidance of major events , the hygiene rules * and the observance of the distance rules . 

The epidemiologist Rafael Mikolajczyk from the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg says: "One explanation is that the sensitization of the population has led to the fact that the transmission by people with symptoms * has decreased significantly." or have no symptoms yet, transmit the virus. "This results in a lower number of reproductions."

Also read:

Virologist dispute flares up: Drosten attacks Kekulé head-on - and can no longer be offered by him *

Corona virus in Germany: number of cases stable, but "the second wave is a very real danger"

So is the danger averted? Mikolajczyk warns against underestimating the consequences of the coronavirus *: "The second wave of infections is a very real danger." The further course of the pandemic depends on politics and society. "From a number of perspectives, it is better to avoid a renewed increase in the number of cases." If the number of infections rose again, measures had to be taken again quickly. Even if this could change within a very short time: According to the current status, the Federal Republic of Covid-19 seems to be getting a grip. 

The virologist Christian Drosten praises the corona fight in Germany, but also expresses fear.

The German schoolchildren could be taught in clubhouses or exhibition halls after the summer holidays.

as / ml

* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network

List of rubric lists: © dpa / Hauke-Christian Dittrich