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Masks are currently only mandatory in a few areas
Photo: Marijan Murat / dpa
The corona numbers continue to rise.
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reports
119,232 new infections
within 24 hours.
That is 26,888 more than on Wednesday a week ago, when 92,344 cases were recorded.
The nationwide
seven-day incidence
rises to
488.7
from 458.5 the previous day (previous week: 472.4).
In addition,
104
other people were registered who
died in connection with the virus (
previous day: 182, previous week: 112).
This increases the number of reported deaths to 140,462.
Experts have been assuming for some time that there will be a large number of cases not recorded by the RKI - mainly because by far not all infected people have a PCR test done.
Only positive PCR tests count in the statistics.
In addition, late registrations or transmission problems can lead to a distortion of individual daily values.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) has spoken out against a renewed, more extensive mask requirement.
Although the number of infections is still high, the course of the disease is mostly mild, said Andreas Gassen to the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” (RND).
“The narrative has always been that the healthcare system shouldn't be overburdened.
Therefore, higher infection numbers than in summer cannot be the basis for measures, such as a new mask requirement."
A basis for a new mask requirement could be a mutation of the corona virus, which causes more severe disease progression.
The KBV boss also spoke out against the continuation of the free corona tests.
"We should stop unprovoked citizen tests as soon as possible, they bring very little and cost a lot," said Gassen.
The virologist Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit from the University of Hamburg also criticized calls for the reintroduction of the mask requirement.
"We know that FFP2 masks used correctly can protect against coronavirus infection," he told RND.
"But other measures could be more efficient and should then be introduced before a mask requirement."
He spoke out in favor of waiting for the evaluation of the corona measures.
"Should the home office regulation be much more efficient than a mask requirement, home office would have higher priority in the fall."
In view of the rising number of corona infections, calls for a new mask requirement indoors had recently been raised.
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) wants to present key points for a future infection protection law before the summer break.
It is about the extent to which regulations such as a mask requirement, for example in retail or gastronomy, are possible again if there is a new wave of infections in autumn or winter.
Starting Wednesday, the health ministers of the federal states will discuss the ministry's "Corona Autumn Strategy" at the Health Ministers' Conference.
However, it was already known in advance that Lauterbach wanted access to the free corona citizen tests to be significantly restricted.
Only people with symptoms should be eligible, as well as other selected groups of people such as small children and pregnant women.
bbr/AFP