“We need to immediately and dramatically reduce the number of contacts,” said Professor Lothar Wheeler, head of the Robert Koch Institute.
He urged political leaders to use all available measures to prevent mass gatherings and urge the public to avoid any unnecessary contact with people outside their own homes, as the incidence of the disease in Germany has soared.
“I expect decision-makers right now to take all measures so that we can together reduce the incidence of disease. We are at a crossroads. We have one choice. Either we choose a path that leads to chaos and a bad outcome … or a path that takes the burden off the health care system and possibly contributes to a Merry Christmas, ”Wheeler said.
The outgoing German health minister Jens Spahn called the situation “extremely serious, since there has never been such a wave.”
Of the 22,000 available intensive care beds in Germany, 4,000 are occupied by coronavirus patients. 85% of patients need oxygen. Their average age is between 50 and 79 years.
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