Coronavirus: alert in Germany for regrowth despite restrictions

The increase in infections of coronavirus in Germany it is “worrying”, warned today the president of the institute of epidemiological surveillance Robert Koch (RKI), a day after having reported a daily toll of 590 deaths due to the disease.

“The situation is still very serious (…) worse since last week,” said Lothar Wieler, and announced 23,679 new cases in the past 24 hours and 440 deaths, with which the country has passed 20,000 death due to illness.

As Chancellor Angela Merkel did yesterday, Wieller assured that they “were considering” new restrictive measures, according to the AFP news agency.

“If (the current measures) do not work, I see no other possibility,” he told a press conference in Berlin, and insisted that “for weeks the number of cases is at a very high level and at this time we are even seeing an increase in infections. “

Outside parliament, Merkel yesterday called for tighter restrictions on public life and begged the Germans to cut back on social activities, warning that “there is too much contact between people”:

The head of government stressed that the death toll “is not acceptable” and that if contacts do not decrease before Christmas “then it will be our last Christmas with our grandparents, then we will have been negligent”.

In Germany Bars, restaurants, cultural and sports centers have been closed since the beginning of November.

Merkel, calling for more decisive action, often had to act more slowly because, in a highly decentralized Germany, the 16 state governments are responsible for imposing and lifting restrictions.

The chancellor and state governors meet periodically to coordinate action.