Germany’s citizens could face tougher Covid-19 restrictions as the country struggles to contain a fierce fourth wave of the pandemic.
Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel and her likely successor, Olaf Scholz, are holding talks on the crisis with regional leaders this Thursday, to chart a path to be followed, a statement from the chancellor’s office said.
They will likely agree on stricter restrictions – many of which are aimed at people not vaccinated against the coronavirus. The goal is to reduce infection rates and relieve pressure on intensive care beds.
Among the various measures being considered are closing bars and clubs, and limiting large events. Some hard-hit regions in Germany have already canceled Christmas trade and barred unvaccinated people from attending public spaces such as restaurants, gyms and leisure facilities.
Germany’s leaders are also expected to discuss mandatory vaccinations. Earlier this week, Scholz signaled his support for mandatory dosing. The introduction of mandatory vaccines would have to be approved by the German parliament.
hospitals getting full
This Wednesday (01), Germany registered 446 deaths related to Covid-19 – the highest number of daily deaths in nine months. Many hospitals are struggling to cope with the growing number of patients in intensive care (ICU) beds, and German doctors have warned that intensive care bed occupancy could soon exceed that seen during last winter’s peak.
The German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency (Divi), in a statement on Wednesday, warned that there could be as many as 6,000 patients with Covid-19 in intensive care by Christmas – regardless of any measures implemented by Germany’s leaders .
Germany has reported 73,209 new cases in the past 24 hours, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the country’s center for disease control.
More than 102,000 people have died from the coronavirus in Germany, said the RKI. The country reported 388 new Covid-19-related deaths from Wednesday to Thursday.
Almost 70% of Germany’s population is fully vaccinated, according to the RKI.
* Translated material. Read the original here.
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Reference: CNN Brasil
