“We see that the numbers are increasing again. This is irritating and creates uncertainty. Therefore, we must continue to be cautious, testing and vaccinating. The virus is not making things easier for us,” Spahn said in an interview with the broadcaster. German public company ARD.
Germany has been partially confined since November and in recent weeks has managed to reduce the rate of infection with the new coronavirus.
In recent days the numbers have started to rise, an evolution attributed to the rapid spread of the British variant of the disease, considered more contagious.
Experts warn that a third wave is approaching, now that the 16 federal states are beginning to ease restrictions.
As of Monday, schools and day centers are expected to reopen in ten of the country’s states. Education is not a federal responsibility in Germany and it is up to each state to decide whether to reopen services.
Many schools are considering limiting class sizes, making masks mandatory and air circulation in classrooms, but some question the timing of reopening.
Spahn considered that a balance must be found between the need to protect Germans from the most contagious strains of the virus and the need to return children to “a normal everyday life”.
The impact of the reopening of schools will be closely monitored, before moving on to the next stages of deflation, added the Minister of Health.
“Once schools and day centers are reopened, millions more people will be on the move. We need to see what difference this makes in terms of variants,” he stressed. “We cannot make false promises” about other flexibilities, he stressed.
Today Germany has registered 7,676 new cases, increasing the total number of infected since the beginning of the pandemic to more than 2.3 million.
More than 67,000 people died in Germany from the virus, according to the Robert Koch Institute for Health Surveillance.
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