"Freedom Day" in Germany?

"Quite the opposite," says Lauterbach - RKI announces quarantine change

Created: 2022-03-28 04:51

By: Christina Denk, Martina Lippl

Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach and RKI boss Lothar Wieler provided information on the current corona situation in Germany this Friday.

The live ticker for the press conference.

• Press conference on the Corona * situation in Germany: Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach and RKI boss Lothar Wieler answer questions in Berlin.

• Lauterbach calls for the corona wave to be contained quickly and for the fourth corona vaccination.

• RKI boss Wieler promises new quarantine rules and appeals to wear masks indoors.

• The press conference in the news ticker.

Update from March 25, 11:25 a.m

.: The press conference on the corona situation in Germany with Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach and RKI boss Lothar Wieler has ended.

The most important points:

• "There can be no talk of a "Freedom Day" - quite the opposite" - says Health Minister Karl Lauterbach in view of the high number of infections in Germany.

  One cannot wait for better weather to ease the situation.

• Lauterbach calls for more fourth corona vaccinations.

  Far too few people over the age of 70 have not yet received an update from the booster.

  Those over 60 who are at risk should also be vaccinated.

  The Standing Vaccination Committee (Stiko) would adjust the current recommendation for the second booster vaccination with Moderna or Biontech.

• RKI boss Lothar Wieler warned to continue wearing FFP2 masks indoors and announced a change in quarantine.

• Medical chairwoman Susanne Johna warns against calling Omikron mild.

  The hospitals are under enormous pressure.

  The vaccination rate with a view to autumn is far too low.

Update from March 25,

11:22 a.m .: Lauterbach would welcome a mask requirement in supermarkets given the high infection rate.

His answer to a journalist's question about whether grocery chains should exercise their domiciliary rights.

Update from March 25, 11:11 a.m

.: "The vaccination does not protect well against infection, but against a severe course," says RKI boss Wieler.

Especially after a booster vaccination, the vaccination effectiveness is highest in the over 60-year-olds at 87 percent.

Update from March 25, 10:57

a.m .: When asked by a journalist how high the vaccination rate should actually be, according to Lauterbach there is no clear limit value or threshold value.

"The higher, the better," says Lauterbach.

It would also depend on the various factors: how many are vaccinated, what is the R value and how well would the vaccines work.

It would depend on the circulating variant.

"With the current vaccination rate for all variants in autumn, measures will be necessary again." And then it would not be small measures.

RKI promises new quarantine rules

Update from March 25, 10:53 a.m

.: RKI boss Lothar Wieler announces an adjustment of the quarantine rule and the isolation.

The recommendations would be published on the website.

In view of the high number of infections, a “softer rule” is necessary.

Update from March 25, 10:49 a.m

.: Karl Lauterbach wants to discuss one question at the conference of health ministers: when will the health system be overloaded?

How can that be determined?

So far, Schleswig-Holstein is the only state that has not yet used the transitional rule of the Infection Protection Act by April 2nd.

Update from March 25, 10:36 a.m

.: Omicron is not always mild.

"It's not an easy illness," emphasizes Karl Lauterbach.

25,000 patients with a corona infection are currently in a hospital, more than 2,200 Covid patients have to be treated in intensive care, of whom around 800 are currently being artificially ventilated.

Long Covid is also not harmless.

Many do not even know that they suffer from an immune deficiency.

"Doctors have been in a stress marathon for two years"

Susanne Johna, Chairwoman of the Marburg Association

Update from March 25, 10:26 a.m

.: Medical representative Susanne Johna describes the situation in the hospital.

It would be a huge burden right now.

The proportion of Covid patients is 20 percent higher than a year ago.

"Imagine that you have been wearing an FFP2 mask at work every day for two years," says Johna.

"Doctors have been in a stress marathon for two years and are increasingly frustrated." Far too few people are vaccinated in Germany.

With a view to autumn, that's far too little, emphasizes Johna.

The information about the second booster vaccination has apparently not reached enough.

Also, many would consider Omicron to be a mild cold.

"Omicron is very easy for some people, but with this mass of infections there are also severe cases.

RKI boss Wieler advocates masks indoors

Update from March 25, 10:19 a.m

.: "The corona pandemic is not over yet," says RKI boss Lothar Wieler.

"Every week, 1,000 people die from an omicron infection." People over the age of 60 have a particularly high risk of becoming seriously ill with omicron and dying.

In most cases, vaccination would protect against serious illness and death.

There are also people who die despite being vaccinated, Wieler admits.

Vaccination would also protect against Long Covid.

Far too few received the second booster vaccination.

If you have symptoms of a respiratory infection, everyone should stay at home for five days, recommends Wieler.

Indoors, it is important to wear FFP2 masks to protect others.

"Each individual can do something to protect other people," said the RKI boss.

In addition, Wieler recommends the basic corona rules to everyone, especially to protect risk patients.

Update from March 25, 10:18 a.m

.: Lauterbach expressly thanks the nurses who have been vaccinated.

Update from March 25, 10:03 a.m

.: "There is no talk of a Freedom Day," said Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach.

The number of corona infections is increasing, the number of deaths is high, and the situation in the hospitals is serious.

“We have to act now,” demands Lauterbach.

He appeals to the federal states to enforce the hotspot rules.

The Minister of Health refers to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

The aim is to prevent the health system from being overwhelmed.

An entire federal state could become a hotspot.

This will be discussed in more detail at the conference of health ministers next Monday.

"We can't let it go like this"

Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach on the current corona situation in Germany

"We can't let it go like this," emphasizes Lauterbach.

In some regions it is already necessary to tighten up.

In view of the very high number of infections, a situation had arisen in which one could not simply wait for better weather to relax the situation.

Lauterbach warns that unvaccinated people will become infected with these numbers of infections in the next few days.

Even a vaccination reduces the risk of a serious illness.

"Get at least one vaccination," says Lauterbach.

It makes no sense to get seriously ill now.

"I haven't been infected for two years" is no reason.

The probability of becoming infected is now higher than ever before.

Update from the booster: Lauterbach is urgently promoting the fourth corona vaccination

With the fourth vaccination we would have to do more.

Especially in the 60 to 70 age group, there are many who belong to the risk group and are not yet covered by the current Stiko recommendation.

That should change.

Update from March 25, 10 a.m

.: Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach and RKI boss Lothar Wieler will provide information on the current corona situation in Germany this Friday.

Update from March 25, 9.33 a.m

.: According to the current RKI weekly report, Omikron BA.2 is considered a driver of the corona pandemic in Germany.

The Berlin institute considers the coronavirus variant to be even easier to transmit.

This would currently be shown by the dynamic infection process.

The withdrawal of the contact restrictions also has an effect on the number of infections.

The RKI gives the incidence this Friday at 1756.4 – a new high.

Within one day, 296,498 new corona infections and 288 deaths were recorded.

Against this background, a press conference will be held today by Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) together with RKI boss Lothar Wieler.

Susanne Johna, chairwoman of the Marburger Bund medical association, will be there.

"The vaccination rate is simply not high enough, especially for those over 60," said Johna in the

With a view to the fall, the doctor's representative called for the introduction of a vaccination certificate.

Normal wards and medical practices in Germany are already under enormous strain because of the comparatively mild omicron variant of the corona virus.

• Federal Minister of Health Prof. Dr.

  Karl W. Lauterbach

  
  

• Prof. Dr.

  Lothar H. Wieler, President of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI)

• dr

  Susanne Johna, 1st Chairwoman of the Marburg Association

Sad corona record week, tense hospital situation

First report from March 25, 2022

Berlin – The Corona virus* curve has reached a new peak in Germany.

On Thursday (March 24), the RKI reported a maximum of over 300,000 new infections in one day for the first time.

In a weekly comparison, the numbers reached a new record after the first positive trend in mid-February.

The institute recorded 1.5 million cases within a week.

The press conference of the Bundestag on Friday (March 25) should also revolve around the current corona situation.

In addition to Health Minister Karl Lauterbach*, Dr.

Talk to Susanne Johna.

She is the first chairwoman of the Marburger Bund, a trade union for doctors in Germany.

With Lothar Wieler, the President of the Robert Koch Institute*, another well-known face will be sitting at the press table.

Corona in Germany: Current debate about compulsory vaccination in the Bundestag

In addition to the renewed increase in the number of infections, the obligation to vaccinate is currently a regular basis for discussion.

There are four different applications for compulsory vaccination.

According to the current status, the Bundestag is to vote on the general obligation to vaccinate at the beginning of April. 

"The only reliable way out of the pandemic is the general obligation to vaccinate," Lauterbach said recently in the Bundestag about the obligation to vaccinate *.

“Without compulsory vaccinations from summer, we’ll be talking about masks, home office requirements, 2G, 3G again from October.”

The hospitals are still under pressure in the corona pandemic.

On Friday, the RKI and the Ministry of Health will provide information about the pandemic situation.

© Marijan Murat/dpa

Corona in Germany: Measures should be taken - but the situation in hospitals is tense

However, the measures are expected to fall in many places on April 2nd.

Then the transition period ends for the federal states to implement the new, relaxed measures.

A hotspot regulation*, such as that Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has now imposed for the entire federal state, can extend the period of validity of the measures.

This means that the mask requirement in indoor areas and the test requirement for unvaccinated people when visiting restaurants will remain in effect until April 27th.

You can read all the current Freedom Day regulations and when and where they apply here.

with dr

Susanne Johna as part of the PK on Friday, it is also likely that the situation in the hospitals will be discussed.

The pressure in the intensive care units, among others, is currently still high.