BERLIN (Reuters) – German health experts warned on Saturday against any further reduction in coronavirus blockade measures, as the number of cases jumped again, raising the possibility that infections could return to peak peaks. see around Christmas in mid-April.
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for Infectious Diseases predicted that the number of daily reported cases could exceed 30,000 by the 14th week of the year as of April 12th.
“An extrapolation of trends shows that a number of cases above the Christmas level can be expected from week 14,” the RKI said in its current status report.
On Saturday, the number of cases of COVID-19 increased by 12,674 and the number of deaths increased by 239, with a number of cases per 100,000 in seven days rising from 76.4 to 76.1.
The death toll in Germany from the virus is 73,301, with 2,558,455 infections reported.
Frustration over the ongoing blockade and the slow pace of vaccinations have been affecting support for Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives, also under fire for the mask acquisition scandal involving party lawmakers.
A small group of protesters faced rain on Saturday in Berlin to protest against the closure.
Merkel’s Christian Democrats have seen support drop in two states where Sunday’s regional elections will be a crucial indicator of popular sentiment ahead of the September federal election.
Merkel and state leaders agreed to a gradual reduction of curbs earlier this month along with an “emergency brake” to allow authorities to re-impose restrictions if cases rise above 100 per 100,000 in three days consecutive.
The RKI report said the rapid spread in Germany of a more infectious virus variant first detected in Britain could mean that the number of cases per 100,000 reaches levels between 200 and 500 by mid-April. .
Leaders will have to meet again on March 22 to discuss whether further relaxation of the rules is possible.
“We can only relax more if there is a stable or low number of cases,” Karl Lauterbach, a Social Democrat health expert, told the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper, adding that it was unlikely soon.
Report by Emma Thomasson; Edited by Ros Russell