Enlarge image
Christmas market in Cologne
Photo:
Ying Tang / imago images / NurPhoto
This article is continuously updated.
Don't miss a thing: subscribe to our coronavirus newsletter for the latest developments and the most important background information.
Patient advocates are calling for more tests
7:19 a.m.:
In the fight against the corona pandemic, from the perspective of the German Foundation for Patient Protection, testing must move more into the focus of protective measures. "I have the feeling that this is a blindfold policy: there is only 2G and we ignore everything else," said board member Eugen Brysch, criticizing the latest federal and state resolutions. The regulatory agencies are not in a position to comprehensively control the 2G rules - access only for vaccinated and convalescent people. "It doesn't make sense without controls," said Brysch. In addition, there is the problem of forged vaccination cards and copied vaccination certificates in cell phones.
Brysch advocated additional tests for those who had been vaccinated and those who had recovered. "2G plus is the concept that will bring us not only through winter, but also through 2022." So far, there has been no concept or timetable for organizing 140 million vaccinations in Germany and a possible mandatory vaccination in the coming year. He appealed to the pharmaceutical industry to provide an "update" for the corona vaccines on the new virus variants.
Unless the vaccination campaign is quickly reorganized with large vaccination centers open for up to 16 hours a day seven days a week, primary health care could suffer severely.
"We are betting on the vaccination card, everyone is participating: pharmacists, dentists, resident doctors," he enumerated.
But doctors and pharmacists can only work for a certain amount of time each day.
The health system is already "sewn to the edge" anyway.
Italians want to sneak a vaccination card with a silicone arm
7:11 a.m.:
A man in Italy tried to
obtain
a corona vaccination
certificate
with a fake arm made of silicone.
"The case borders on the ridiculous if it weren't for an act of enormous importance," said the head of the regional government of Piedmont, Alberto Cirio, on Facebook on Friday.
Despite the realistic skin tone of the rubber arm, the medics were not fooled and the 50-year-old man was charged.
Cirio described the Italian's project in the northern city of Biella as "unacceptable in view of the sacrifice made by our entire community during the pandemic in terms of human life, social and economic costs."
Italy will tighten the rules for unvaccinated people from Monday.
Since August, the so-called “Green Pass” has to be presented when visiting restaurants, museums, cinemas, theaters and at sporting events.
It is valid as proof of a survived corona infection, a vaccination or a negative test result.
From December 6th, the 2G rule will apply in these facilities; a “Super Green Pass” is required for this.
Almost 85 percent of Italian citizens aged twelve and over are already fully vaccinated.
Booster vaccinations are now also available for all adults in Italy.
Seven-day incidence increases slightly to 442.7
7:05 a.m.:
The seven-day incidence has increased slightly again.
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) gave the number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants and week on Saturday morning at 442.7.
For comparison: the previous day the value was 442.1, a week ago it was 444.3 (previous month: 183.7).
The health authorities in Germany reported 64,510 new corona infections to the RKI within one day.
This is evident from the numbers that reflect the status of the RKI dashboard at 3:48 a.m.
Exactly one week ago there were 67,125 infections.
When evaluating the infection rate, it should be borne in mind that experts are currently assuming a noticeable underreporting.
Health authorities and clinics can no longer keep up with reporting cases, at least in individual regions (read more here).
The RKI is also finding it difficult to assess the situation.
The slowed increase in the seven-day incidence could "on the one hand be a first indication of a slightly weakening dynamic in the transmission process due to the significantly intensified measures to reduce contact," said the RKI weekly report on Thursday evening.
However, the development could "regionally also be due to the increasingly overloaded capacities in the public health service and the exhausted laboratory capacities".
378 deaths
According to the new information, 378 deaths were recorded across Germany within 24 hours.
A week ago there were 303 deaths.
The RKI has counted 6,116,070 detected infections with Sars-CoV-2 since the beginning of the pandemic.
The actual total number is likely to be significantly higher, as many infections are not recognized.
The number of corona patients admitted to clinics per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days was given by the RKI on Friday as 5.52 (Thursday: 5.47).
The value plays an essential role in assessing the occurrence of the infection.
If limit values 3, 6 and 9 are exceeded in the federal states, stricter measures to combat the pandemic can be imposed there.
The RKI stated the number of people recovered on Saturday at 5,058,200.
The number of people who died with or with a proven Sars-CoV-2 infection rose to 102,946.
jme / dpa / AFP / Reuters
