COVID-19 cases are rising at an “exponential rate” in Germany and there may not be enough doses of vaccine to prevent a third wave, German Health Minister Jens Spahn warned at a news conference on Friday. according to Deutsche Welle.
Why it’s important: The deteriorating health situation means Germany may have to consider more restrictive measures, stopping reopening plans, Spahn noted.
- On Monday, Chancellor Angela Merkel is scheduled to meet with governors of the 16 German states, where they will discuss the possibility of a new closure, NPR reports.
What they say: “There are still not enough doses of vaccine in Europe to stop the third wave just by vaccinating,” Spahn said.
- “Even if shipments of EU orders arrive reliably, it will still be a few weeks before the risk groups are fully vaccinated.”
- “The increase in the number of cases may mean that we will not be able to take any action towards the opening in the coming weeks. On the contrary, we may even have to take steps backwards,” Spahn said.
Added who would be in favor of Germany signing an agreement with Russia to get doses of its Sputnik V vaccine.
- “I’m actually very much in favor of us doing it at the national level if the European Union doesn’t do something.”
The big picture: On Friday, Lars Schaade, vice president of the German Robert Koch Institute, warned that the spread of COVID-19 variants means “there are difficult weeks left.”
- “It is very possible that we will have a situation similar during Easter to the one we had before Christmas, with a very high number of cases, many serious cases and deaths and hospitals that are overflowing.”
What to see: Experts have warned that the growing number of cases in Europe may soon be reflected in the US