COVID-19: Germany May Strengthen Lockdown

COVID-19: Germany May Strengthen Lockdown. COVID-19 infection rate remains high, Germany may strengthen epidemic prevention lockdown.

Since the soft lockdown failed to reduce the infection rate to a controllable level, Germany is considering more stringent epidemic prevention and control measures.

According to an unnamed person familiar with the matter, Prime Minister Merkel told members of the CDU-CSU parliamentary group on Monday that the current partial blockade is not enough to make Europe’s largest economy survive the winter. The person familiar with the matter said that a new strategy will be developed with 16 states before Christmas.

Germany is experimenting with prevention and control measures that are softer than other European countries, closing restaurants, stadiums and movie theaters, but allowing schools and most enterprises to continue to operate. The measures implemented in early November have had little impact on the spread of the disease, although the government spends more than 15 billion euros ($18 billion) a month to compensate affected companies.

According to the Robert Koch Institute, the current 7-day morbidity rate across Germany has reached a record 146, while it was only 120.1 when the soft lockdown was implemented on November 2. The government’s goal is to drop below 50. Only Schleswig-Holstein in the north and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the east are below this level.

“The epidemic has not eased, and we need to act,” Bavarian state leader Markus Soeder said on ARD TV on Monday. “I believe we will meet again before Christmas. The current methods are not enough.”

Disclaimer of medicaltrend.org