Cases of COVID-19 are rising at an ‘exponential rate’ in Germany and there may not be enough vaccine doses to avoid a third wave, German Health Minister Jens Spahn told a news conference on Friday, according to Deutsche Welle. warned.
Why it matters: The deteriorating health situation means Germany may need to consider more restrictive measures and halt the reopening of plans, Spahn noted.
- Chancellor Angela Merkel plans to meet with governors of Germany’s 16 states on Monday, where they will discuss the possibility of a new closure, NPR reported.
What they say: “There are not yet enough vaccine doses in Europe to stop the third wave by vaccination alone,” Spahn said.
- “Even if the deliveries of EU orders are reliable, it will still take a few weeks until the risk groups are fully vaccinated.”
- “The increasing case numbers could mean we can take no further steps to open in the coming weeks. On the contrary, we even have to take steps backwards,” Spahn said.
He added that he would be in favor of Germany signing an agreement with Russia to get doses of the Sputnik V vaccine.
- “I am actually very much in favor of us doing it nationally if the European Union does not do something.”
The whole picture: Lars Schaade, vice president of the Robert Koch Institute in Germany, warned on Friday that the proliferation of COVID-19 variants meant difficult weeks ahead.
- “It is quite possible that we will have a similar situation over Easter as the one we had before Christmas, with very high cases, very serious cases and deaths and hospitals being overwhelmed.”
What to look for: Experts have warned that rising business numbers in Europe could soon be reflected in the US