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May 22, 2021 Share
German health officials said Friday the nation has broken the third wave of COVID-19 infections, but cautioned the pandemic is far from over.
German Health Minster Jens Spahn, joined by Robert Koch Institute for Infectious Diseases (RKI) President Lothar Wieler, said the nation as a whole and most of Germany’s 400 cities and counties had weekly infection rates below the threshold of 100 per 100,000 inhabitants that triggered strict lockdown measures.
Spahn credited German citizens for minding social guidelines and suffering through recurring lockdowns for progress that has been made. “It was exactly this combination of confidence and caution, vaccination and taking care of each other, which was important to break the third wave. We did it together.”
May 13, 2021 Share
German Health Minister Jens Spahn said Wednesday the nation is prepared to roll out a digital “immunity app” to show proof of vaccination for Germans by the end of June.
Spahn told reporters the digital certificate is designed to allow people to more easily prove they have been vaccinated and travel to different areas and countries. He said all the standards, interfaces and “technical terms” for the certificate have been agreed to, and after regional testing is complete next month, he expects it to be ready for distribution.
The health minister said the goal is for the certificate to be compatible with the certification system currently being developed and debated by the European Union.
April 30, 2021 Share
German health officials had good news for the country Thursday in terms of falling COVID-19 infection rates and record numbers of vaccinations delivered but said there is still a long way to go.
At a Berlin news conference, Germany Health Minister Jens Spahn, along with Robert Koch Institute for Infectious Diseases (RKI) President Lothar Wieler, noted the average number of new infections per 100,000 people in the country fell to 155 Thursday for the third day in a row, its lowest level in two weeks. On Monday, the rate was 169.
But to Spahn, the dropping numbers reflected a “stagnation” of rising numbers of cases, and it has yet to be determined if this was a one-time occurrence or if it reflected an actual reversal of recent trends. He said it was still not enough progress, as hospital intensive care units remain full in many cities.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday she is asking Parliament for temporary powers that would allow her federal government to implement nationwide coronavirus lockdowns to curb a third wave of the pandemic in the country. Merkel spoke to reporters after her Cabinet approved a draft of legislation that would give her government the power to…