BERLIN (AP) – Germany’s health minister on Monday expressed patience that the European Union is still waiting for its regulatory body to approve the corona virus vaccine, while other officials are reportedly closing a new hard-lock school two days before Germans abandon Christmas shopping.
President Angela Merkel and governors of 16 German states agreed on Sunday to step up the country’s lockout process from Wednesday until January 10 to curb the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases. Merkel said the restrictions imposed in November had failed to significantly reduce the number of new infections. In recent weeks Germany has hit records of new daily infections and viral deaths.
Health Minister Jens Spaun said in a series of tweets that Germany, which has set up more than 400 vaccination centers and directed about 10,000 doctors and medical staff to launch mass vaccinations early on Tuesday, has been hit by a lack of regulatory approval.
The vaccine, developed by German bioentech and US pharmaceutical manufacturer Pfizer, is approved for use in the UK, US, Canada and other countries, but is still awaiting approval from the European Pharmaceuticals Agency or EMA, so it can not be used in Germany.
The EMA meeting on vaccines is scheduled for December 29, but Span said the agency’s evaluation and approval of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine “should take place as soon as possible.”
“It’s about citizens’ confidence in the EU’s operational capabilities,” Span wrote. “Vaccines reduce suffering every day that we can start early and protect those who are most vulnerable.”
Span had previously said that going through EMA approval was the right path.
In recent weeks, hospitals across the country have repeatedly warned that they are reaching their limit in caring for COVID-19 patients and that working in intensive care units is becoming an issue. As of Monday, 4,552 COVID-19 patients were being treated in the ICU units, 52% of whom were in the respiratory tract.
On Monday, Germany’s Central Disease Control Center announced 16,362 new confirmed cases – up from about 4,000 a week earlier. Robert Koch recorded 188 new deaths, bringing the total death toll to 21,975.
The country’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Monday appealed to Germans to support and follow the new locking measures.
“The virus still has a tight grip on us,” Steinmeier said. “The situation is so dire: thousands of deaths a week and an epidemic threatening to get out of control – we have no way to avoid drastic measures.”
Others urged the Germans to avoid buying last-minute panic.
“Like groceries, I want people to buy only what they need,” said Economy Minister Peter Altmeyer. “The sooner we bring these infections under control, the better for everyone.”
In some states, including Saxony in eastern Germany and northern Rhine-Westphalia in the west, schools have already been closed or forced school attendance eliminated so parents can keep their children at home.
Starting Wednesday, schools across the country will close or switch to home school; Just as businesses like the hairdresser are allowed to stay open, most non-food stores will be closed. Restaurant pick-up will still be allowed, but no food or drink will take place on site.
With the exception of Christmas, the number of people allowed to meet indoors is limited to five people, including children under 14. The sale of firecrackers, which are traditionally used to celebrate the New Year, will also be banned, as well as public outdoor gatherings on New Year’s Day.
Top officials have also appealed to Christians to watch this year’s traditional Christmas Mass online.
Michael Gretzmer, the governor of Saxony, who has been particularly badly affected by the re-emergence of the virus, told the German news agency DPA that he would not attend the midnight mass for the first time in his life this Christmas.
“I don’t need it for my confidence. I think it’s okay if we all stop at this crucial moment,” Gretchmer said. “Joseph and Mary also owned the Holy Night.”
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The story corrects the quote in the last paragraph to “Joseph and Mary” instead of “Jesus and Mary”.
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