Omicron wave overruns the district

Created: 2022-01-20Updated: 2022-01-20, 5:00 p.m

By: Doris Richter

The number of PCR tests has almost doubled within a week.

© Sina Schuldt

The omicron wave is currently sweeping the district and the district office can no longer keep up with the processing and reporting of the new cases to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).

District -

On Thursday, a software error also ensured that the new case numbers were not transmitted in time by 2 p.m., which is why the current reports remained relatively low, while the 7-day incidence had long since broken the 1000 mark . "New cases are constantly coming in," said District Administrator Christoph Göbel (CSU) at a press conference on Thursday. From day to day there are now new record values ​​for the number of infections. There have been 853 new cases since Wednesday, 2 p.m., plus around 400 new cases, all of which can no longer be recorded by the reporting deadline of Thursday, 2 p.m. "And you can assume - that's all Omikron," said Göbel. There are 47 confirmed cases so far, plus 3410 suspected cases. At the same time, however, no new admissions to hospitals are reported.The so-called hospitalization rate in the district is 0.

Tracking of contacts hardly possible anymore

In view of the increasing numbers, it is hardly possible to trace the contacts.

“We really only do this with the so-called vulnerable groups”.

said Göbel, for example in older or sick people.

We rely on the common sense of those affected and that they behave responsibly.

Where there is a lot of testing, there are many cases: 1409 people are currently infected in schools and daycare centers.

"Only the immediate contact persons, i.e. siblings or direct seat neighbors, have to be in quarantine," says Göbel.

The fact that entire classes are in quarantine and are taught online is the exception.

And even a whole daycare center is closed.

The numbers are also increasing in the nursing homes: 64 residents are currently infected in seven facilities, as well as 83 employees from 30 facilities.

"But most residents are boosted, which is why we hope for mild courses."

12 500 PCR tests

The number of corona tests has also skyrocketed, especially in the case of PCR tests.

While 7,487 PCR tests were carried out in the municipal test centers in the week from January 3rd to 9th, the following week there were already more than 12,500. The number of rapid antigen tests, on the other hand, fell slightly from 8,711 to 7,260. Even if you often have to have a lot of patience for a test in the municipal test center at the moment, as the waiting times are sometimes long - contrary to many rumours, the PCR tests are not scarce at the moment.

"We have enough tests," said Göbel.

The bottleneck is in the laboratories, which can hardly keep up with the evaluation.

Vaccination center capacity

The employees in the vaccination centers, on the other hand, have more air again.

"At the moment, only a third of our capacity is being used," says Göbel.

The 15 special vaccination campaigns that the district organized last week, with around 900 people being vaccinated, were well received.

Around 10,200 vaccinations have now been given to children between the ages of five and eleven.

In this context, Göbel again calls for "everyone to be vaccinated, then we've made it".