Corona in Germany: Spahn remains a tough test - his ministry is threatened with a wave of lawsuits

Germany is in the middle of the corona pandemic. Numerous mask suppliers are now suing the Ministry of Health for outstanding payments.

• The coronavirus pandemic * continues to keep Germany in suspense.
• The Ministry of Health is being sued by mask supplier to around 400 million euros. (Update from August 9th, February 13th)
• The ZDF found out that the mandatory tests for travelers returning cost the federal government several million euros. (Update August 8, 10:06 p.m.)
• Here you will find the basic facts about the coronavirus * and a map with the current number of cases in  Germany .

Update from August 9, 1:02 p.m.: Because the Ministry of Health ordered six billion protective masks during the peak of the corona pandemic but is said to have not or only partially paid for them, 48 suppliers are now suing the Bonn regional court , reports Die Welt am Sonntag . Another 100 companies are currently preparing legal action against the federal government. Overall, it should be about outstanding payments of around 400 million euros , according to the extrapolation of the law firms involved. The reason for the "delays in payment terms", according to the Ministry of Health , are quality defects or incorrectly issued invoices.

Corona in Germany: Medical Association warns of negligence in the population

The Marburger Bund doctors' association is warning of growing negligence among the population. "We are already seeing a continuous increase in the number of infections - it is flat, but it is there," said chairwoman Susanne Johna . But more and more people would only half-heartedly follow the safety regulations or not at all. "So you have to speak of a trend that makes it clear to us that it cannot go on like this." Distance, hygiene and the mask requirement would have to be adhered to more consistently. 

"Many no longer see this as a reality because they don't know anyone in their circle of acquaintances who is relevantly ill," said the head of the association . “It gives some people the feeling that it is far away. But it is not far away. ”There are also terrible fates of sick people, who even the most modern medical means could no longer help. “What is often forgotten: Among the sick there are also people who retain long-term damage, ” said Johna . And about the resumption of school lessons the head of the association said: "The school is a major event - but one that we have to afford."

Corona crisis in Germany: These are the current numbers

Update from August 9, 8:10 a.m.: For the first time in several days, the number of daily corona infections has fallen again. According to the Robert Koch Institute ( RKI ), it is 555 (as of August 9, 00:00). But that's not a reason to celebrate. Because many health authorities do not report their infection on the weekend. So the real number could be higher.

Nevertheless, there are only half as many newly infected people as the day before. The number published on Saturday was 1122. According to the RKI, a total of 9196 people died in connection with Corona in Germany. 196,800 people survived the disease. The reproduction number, or R value for short , is still very high. It is currently 1.32. The day before it was only 1.16. Thus, each infected person infects more than one other person with the virus .

Mandatory corona tests: Health Minister Jens Spahn is stepping up his approach

Update from August 8, 10:06 p.m.: In order to further contain the spread of the coronavirus , the federal government has decided that travelers who enter Germany from risk areas must be tested for the virus. Health Minister Jens Spahn had campaigned for the tests to be made available to travelers free of charge.

Compulsory corona testing for high-risk travelers costs the federal government millions per week

This results in costs in the millions for the state every week, as a calculation by ZDFheute has shown. The station assumes around 120,000 passengers entering Germany from a risk area each week. A survey by the airport association AVD suggests this assumption.

Calculations by ZDFheute show: The compulsory test for travelers returning from risk areas costs millions - every week. Why does Minister of Health @JensSpahn insist that the state pay for it? https://t.co/ARq5eBnAOB

The cost per test would be EUR 65.50 . Multiplied by the number of travelers, the result is a value of almost eight million euros , which the state has to raise to provide the tests for air travelers. This does not include people who enter by land or ship.

Corona test costs 65.50 euros per person: "Not to test would be possibly more expensive"

The competent authority justified the procedure. Early testing “can avoid potentially significant follow-up costs. Not testing it would therefore possibly be more expensive, ”said the Federal Ministry of Health ZDFheute . First of all, the statutory health insurances would cover the costs - also for those travelers who are privately insured. However, the costs would later be covered by the federal government in the form of a billion-euro grant to the coffers. The federal states also partially financed the corona tests, as the Federal Ministry of Health told ZDFheute .

In the debate as to whether the state funding of corona tests , which people are obliged to take after a voluntary trip, is justified, Jens Spahn sticks to his view. “It's about as populist as the approach: 'If you can afford a ski holiday, you can also afford a broken leg,'” said the Federal Minister of Health , commenting that holidaymakers could also pay for the costs themselves.

Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn defends the free corona tests for travelers returning from risk areas.

© JOHN MACDOUGALL / afp

Update from August 8, 9:15 a.m .: The number of Sars-CoV-2 infections in Germany is above the threshold of 1000 new cases for the third day in a row . According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) , the health authorities in Germany reported 1122 new infections with the novel coronavirus within 24 hours .

Compared to Friday , when 1147 new cases were registered, the number on Saturday decreased slightly. On Thursday it was 1045  for the first time again above 1000. This threshold was last exceeded on May 9th . After that the number tended to decrease, and since the end of July the values ​​have been rising again.

More than 1000 new corona infections were registered in Germany for three days in a row.

© Sebastian Kahnert / dpa-Zentralbild / dpa

Coronavirus in Germany: Two RKI values ​​increase sharply compared to the previous day

According to RKI estimates (data status August 7th, midnight) in Germany, the number of reproductions, or R value for short , was 1.16 (previous day: 0.99 ). The so-called seven-day R at the same time, according to RKI estimates, was 1.16 (previous day: 1.06 ). The R-value depicts the infection process approximately one and a half weeks beforehand. The seven-day R shows the infection from 8 to 16 days ago.

Head of the health service alarmed because of the number of infections in Germany: "We are not well prepared"

Update from August 7th, 11:59 am : In view of the rising infection numbers in Germany , the chairwoman of the Federal Association of Doctors of the Public Health Service, Ute Teichert , spoke on Thursday evening in the ZDF program "Dunja Hayali" .

In her opinion, Germany has weathered the crisis well so far. However, Teichert warned for the health authorities: "We are not well prepared!" The doctor, who would like to strengthen the public health service, continued: "I believe that we are in a false sense of security at the moment that we are simply spending time lost sight of it and missed it. ”She added:“ Everyone believed that the second wave would only come in autumn - now it is August and the numbers are going up. ”

Corona in Germany: Two schools in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania closed

Update from August 7, 11:23 a.m .: On Monday, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania was the first federal state to start the new school year after the summer vacation. Two schools have now been closed due to Corona . Affected are the Goethe-Gymnasium in Ludwigslust (Ludwigslust-Parchim district), where a teacher tested positive, and the Ostsee-Grundschule in Graal-Müritz (Rostock district), according to communications from the two districts.

According to this, a student at the Baltic Sea primary school in Graal-Müritz is infected. The school is to be closed for two weeks from Monday. On Friday, the children should still be taught outdoors and in separate groups. All students, teachers and other school employees must be in quarantine , according to the information . The parents would be informed about the correct behavior in the quarantine period and how to deal with any loss of earnings, the district said . The health department is now determining contact persons.

Call of slightly angry dad with school children: End of vacation: School starts: School is closed: #Corona case in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania school: Family is now in quarantine as a precaution until the test and results are there.

The high school in Ludwigslust with around 800 students will initially be closed until Wednesday next week as a precaution. All 55 teachers would be tested on Corona , it said. The infected teacher had not given any lessons after the holidays, so had no contact with students . However, she was in the preparations for the new school year in the last week of vacation with teacher colleagues.

Corona in Germany: Concert in Düsseldorf with 13,000 spectators planned

First report from August 7, 10:56 a.m .: Munich - The coronavirus pandemic is still keeping Germany in suspense. Yesterday, Thursday morning, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported 1045 new corona infections within one day. So many new infections have not been reported for about three months. Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn does not see any critical threshold being exceeded. A concert with 13,000 spectators is planned for the beginning of September in Düsseldorf .

On September 4th , a concert with well-known stars from all over the world is to take place in the Düsseldorf soccer stadium , the “Merkur Spielarena”. Under the slogan "Give Live A Chance" are Bryan Adams , Sarah Connor , Rea Garvey and some other musicians before 13,000 spectators in the state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia occur. "This is the sign to the fans, artists and crews as well as the entire music industry Have waited longingly, "said organizer Marek Lieberberg in a message on Friday. According to the organizers, it would be the first major concert in Germany since mid-March.

Check out this post on Instagram

I've been invited to perform at the first large social distancing concert in Germany at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf on September 4th. I'm playing acoustically with Gary on piano. Tickets go on sale Tuesday, August 11th at 10am through www.ticketmaster.de and giveliveachance.de/tickets #giveliveachance #socialdistancingconcert #barebones #bryanadamslive

A post shared by Bryan Adams (@bryanadams) on Aug 6, 2020 at 12:13 PM PDT

The concert, which according to the organizers would be the first major concert in Germany since mid-March , will be planned in close coordination with the authorities. The infection control would be "taken into account in full," said the organizers. The audience should wear protective masks during the concert . The necessary safety distance between the seats should be maintained.

Corona in Germany: Spahn considers 1000 new infections per day to be manageable

Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn has made it clear after the recent increase in new corona infections that he currently does not see any critical threshold being exceeded. "At the moment we are in any case still of a size that the health system and the public health service can deal with," said the CDU politician on Thursday to the ZDF "heute journal" . He continued: “If we now stabilize at a certain level, then we can deal with it. If the numbers continue to rise, then it will be up to all of us to look out for one another in everyday life and not actually make any further measures necessary. "

“It's August now. The travel wave has been rolling for a long time. Why are these test obligations only now - isn't it a bit late? ”Marietta Slomka in an interview with Federal Minister of Health @Jensspahn (CDU) about the compulsory test and rising # Corona numbers. pic.twitter.com/IxaYf7F00X

Most recently, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) registered more than 1000 new infections within 24 hours for the first time in three months . Spahn underlined the line of relying primarily on regional measures if the worst comes to the worst. When asked when new restrictions would be necessary, Spahn emphasized that there was no "one number to which everything can be reduced". The Federal Minister of Health also stated : “There is an increase factor - so how much more dynamic is the infection process? There is the absolute number of infections. The health system can deal with around 1000 new infections per day. ” (Ph with dpa) * Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital network

List of rubric lists: © dpa / Oliver Berg