Germany calls for ‘caution’ as COVID infections rise again

German Health Minister Jens Spahn on Sunday called for caution in the face of rising coronavirus infections, as schools across the country prepare to reopen.

“The virus does not make it easy for us,” Spahn told German broadcaster ARD.

“We are seeing the numbers increase again. It’s boring, and it brings back some uncertainty. That is why caution, testing and vaccination must continue to guide our way.

Germany has been in partial lockdown since November and has managed to bring down the infection rate in recent weeks.

But the numbers then started to level off and even increase slightly in recent days, a trend blamed on the rapid spread of the most contagious UK variant of the virus.

Experts warn that Germany could be at the start of a third wave of coronavirus, even as the country’s 16 states begin to loosen some of their brakes.

From Monday, schools and nurseries will reopen in 10 German regions.

Many schools are planning to limit class sizes alongside other precautions such as wearing masks and ventilating rooms, but critics have questioned whether the time is right for reopening.

Spahn said a balance must be struck between protecting Germans from the risks posed by new, more infectious strains of the virus and the need for children to have some sort of “normal everyday life”.

The impact of reopening schools would be closely monitored before deciding on the next steps in the pandemic, he added.

“Once schools and daycares reopen, millions more will be on the move. We have to see what a difference this makes regarding transfers,” Spahn said.

“We cannot make false promises” about further easing, he added.

Spahn and Germany’s 16 regional health ministers will discuss on Monday moving teachers and caregivers higher on the priority vaccine list.

If approved, they would move from Group 3 to Group 2, making them next once Germany vaccinated most of its elderly people living in nursing homes.

Germany added 7,676 more coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to more than 2.3 million.

More than 67,000 people have died from the virus, according to the Robert Koch Institute for Disease Control.

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© 2021 AFP