Germany’s Coronavirus Cases Tick Up After Lockdown Restrictions Loosen Up

The head of the Robert Koch Institute, Germany's federal government agency and research institute responsible for disease control and prevention, Lothar Wieler, addresses a news conference on the coronavirus and the ... The head of the Robert Koch Institute, Germany's federal government agency and research institute responsible for disease control and prevention, Lothar Wieler, addresses a news conference on the coronavirus and the COVID-19 disease in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, April 28, 2020. (Christian Mang/Pool via AP) MORE LESS
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BERLIN — Germany’s disease control center says the country’s rate of corona virus infections has slightly increased but the number of new infections remains at a manageable level.

Lothar Wieler, the head of the Robert Koch Institute says the “R” factor — the number of people infected by every person with COVID-19 — is now 0.96. Authorities have said they want to try to keep it below 1 to keep the pandemic manageable for the health care system.

It had been around 0.7 before Germany eased lockdown restrictions on April 20 to allow smaller businesses to open, while keeping social distancing in place. It’s too early to say whether that move has led to the increase.

Wieler is urging Germans to keep abiding by social distancing, wearing masks while on public transportation or shopping and staying at home when possible.

He says Germany currently has about 1,000 new infections reported per day, down from a high of some 6,000. The virus has infected a total of nearly 160,000 people and killed about 6,000.

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  1. And this is in Germany, which has been doing a very strong job of managing and testing.

    It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to see what is coming for the South, with all those states lifting restrictions and testing basically being nonexistent.

  2. The German second wave.

    The US second tsunami will be washing ashore soon.

  3. Avatar for tao tao says:

    I have differences with most of the people I met in Florida, but in no way do I wish them the death or illness the anti-lockdown movement will cause.

  4. Well, we people in Florida are thankful for that. :joy:

    Its good to know you don’t want me to die soon.

  5. Yeah, a bit disappointing — but people here are also a bit tired of it all and impatient. It’s been particularly hard because we have had absolutely splendid weather for weeks, warm and sunny and perfect weather for sitting in a Biergarten and enjoying life. We have a lovely garden at home so it’s been easier on us than on others.

    I am waiting to hear from my employer about whether, as planned, I have to go to work next Monday. I suspect that there’s a likelihood that this news will affect that. We’d gotten some info about planning from our department but nothing official from HR or our director. One email from my boss this morning sounded sort of, well, undecided, so they may have already done some rethinking of some of that. Personally, I have no problems staying home longer, but I know plenty of others who are more extroverted than I and they miss the contact to others (and some really just need their labs and equipment).

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