Decisions on measures to take effect after the summer break are expected to be taken at a conference of the federal government and the states in early July.
A new wave of the coronavirus pandemic after the summer holidays is predicted by the head of the Department of Virology at the Charité University Hospital in Berlin, Christian Drosten, revising his previous estimate that the pandemic could end within the current year.
“I hope that the school holidays will slow down the increase in the number of cases. “But from September I’m afraid we will have very high numbers,” Drosten said in an interview with Der Spiegel. “The BA variant is just very contagious and at the same time people lose the transmission protection from their last vaccination”the German scientist explained, but expressed the belief that, although hospital admissions will increase again, deaths will be much lower than in 2021.
Regarding the evolution of the pandemic, Mr. Drosten estimated that at some point a new balance will prevail, as the immunity of the population from vaccination and infections will be so strong that the virus will become less important, but in the worst case, he noted. , it might take “a few more winters” to reach an endemic state.
The majority of Germans, however, believe that the obligation to use a protective mask in all areas should return, by the autumn at the latest. According to the DeutschlandTrend poll on behalf of the first channel of the German public television ARD, 63% demand the restoration of the mask indoors. The majority of this percentage (77%) is over 65 years old, while in the ages 18-34 the same opinion is expressed by 48%. In terms of political stance, 82% of Greens and 78% of Social Democrats (SPD) supporters are in favor of reinstating the mask, while 43% of Liberals (FDP) voters are in favor. only 30% of Alternative Germany (AfD) supporters.
Decisions on measures to take effect after the summer break are expected to be taken at a conference of the federal government and the states in early July.
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