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Intensive care nurse: "We have to break this wave."
Photo: Jens Büttner / dpa
The number of people infected with corona is rising rapidly in Germany.
Now the chairman of the World Medical Association, Frank Ulrich Montgomery, has issued a clear warning.
"With 20,000 new infections a day, the situation gets out of hand," said Montgomery of the "Rheinische Post".
"Then it would no longer be possible for health authorities to trace and interrupt the chains of infection. Then we are threatened with a second lockdown, because the virus can no longer be stopped otherwise."
Already in spring, during the first wave of infections in Germany, politicians had imposed drastic restrictions on public life.
After the situation calmed down in summer, the situation is now worsening again significantly.
The number of detected new corona infections within one day last exceeded 10,000 cases for the first time.
According to the Robert Koch Institute, the health authorities reported 11,287 cases within 24 hours on Thursday morning.
On Friday the number was 11,242 cases.
Montgomery welcomed the restrictions imposed in the particularly affected district of Berchtesgadener Land, where strict exit restrictions have been in place since Tuesday.
"We have to react consistently to local outbreaks," said the former President of the German Medical Association.
"That is why it is exactly right that the Berchtesgaden district has imposed a local lockdown. All towns across Germany should react with such incidence values."
"Exciting time"
Several state governments urged citizens to adhere to the precautionary measures.
"I think this is going to be an exciting time for all of us. It will be an important setting," said Bavarian Prime Minister and CSU boss Markus Söder on Thursday on the program "ZDF special".
"We have to break this wave."
Hamburg's Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD) warned that everyone should now understand the seriousness of the situation.
"We need discipline now, and that also includes controls and sanctions," he said on Thursday evening on the ZDF program "Maybrit Illner".
Berlin's Governing Mayor Michael Müller made it clear in the ZDF "Heute Journal" that there are "not many options left for decisions".
At the same time, he warned of the social consequences of another lockdown, i.e. the far-reaching restrictions on public life as in the spring.
"And in this respect, I simply don't want to give up hope that we can prevent this lockdown with our measures and also with our discipline and personal responsibility," said the SPD politician.
But he had to admit: "You can no longer rule it out."
Söder said of the recent increase in the number of infections: "Exactly what happened, as predicted weeks ago, that with carelessness and a lack of caution, unfortunately, a correspondingly higher number of infections can occur."
That is why the measures that have now been initiated must be implemented consistently everywhere.
The CSU boss demanded that patience was needed now - "the same mentality that we had in spring: participation, caution, discipline and consideration".
At that time, Germany "defied the first wave very successfully".
With patience and consideration, it is quite feasible to master the situation "and that we have no closing of borders, no closing of schools and daycare centers," continued Söder.
"But it depends very much on each individual."
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kev / dpa