Senior German health officials raised the possibility of a nationwide lockdown, warning that the rapid increase in the number of coronavirus cases and the sharp increase in the number of intensive care patients means that reducing exposure is the only way to resolve the crisis and avoid “roads.” To chaos”.
“We need to immediately reduce exposure a lot,” said Prof. Lothaweiler, director of the Robert Koch Institute, the German Federal Agency for Disease Control.
He called on political leaders to use all possible measures to prevent mass gatherings, and urged the public to avoid any unnecessary contact with people outside their own homes, because the incidence in Germany has risen by 75,400 people, a week-on-week increase. 44%.
“I hope that policy makers will take all measures now so that we can reduce the incidence together,” Weiler said. “We are at a crossroads. We have only one choice. We either choose the path that leads to chaos and bad ending…or the path that reduces the burden on the health system and may make Christmas safe.”
Germany’s outgoing health minister, Jens Spahn, called the situation “so serious that it has never happened in this pandemic.” He added: “It’s already half an hour after midnight, but there are still some people who haven’t heard the alarm.”
Of the 22,000 available intensive care beds in Germany, 4,000 are occupied by coronavirus patients, and 85% of them require respiratory assistance. Their average age is between 50 and 79 years old. Wieler said that although this number may not seem high to some people, it marks a 100% increase in a week, even if there are no new infections, which is expected in the next 10 to 14 days. Elective surgeries across Germany have been cancelled to free up beds and staff.
The Luftwaffe is on standby to transport patients from hospitals to capable hospitals.
Span called on decision makers at the federal and state levels to recognize the urgency of the situation and to convene the meeting scheduled for December 9th in advance. He said it would be reckless to wait 10 days as the participants said to see if the current measures are working.
“The medical staff did not have 10 days to wait for observation,” Spann said. He criticized Berlin’s Christmas market for being in full swing, while Charité, the city’s university hospital, was overcrowded. “This is inappropriate at this time,” he said.
Weiler also expressed his opinion Newly discovered mutation In southern Africa.
Both urged Germans to get vaccinated or, if they have already been vaccinated, a booster shot. Spann said that between 20 and 30 million vaccines will be vaccinated before Christmas. More than 68% of Germans have been fully vaccinated.
The incidence rate is rising rapidly throughout Europe. Portugal86% of the population has been vaccinated, and as the number of cases continues to increase, it is reintroducing a series of restrictions. On Thursday, Prime Minister Antonio Costa announced that from December 1st, masks must be worn in closed spaces again, and digital certificates for vaccination or rehabilitation are required to enter restaurants, hotels and cinemas. All people entering hospitals, nursing homes, bars, clubs and sporting events need a negative test, and people flying to Portugal from abroad also need a digital certificate or a negative test result.