Tuesday, March 19

Germany asks the population to be tested several times a week

The German Minister of Health, Karl Lauterbach, has asked the population to carry out antigen tests against the coronavirus several times a week, as a strategy to stop the advance of the omicron variant in the country, given the clear uptick in infections and incidence. . Speaking to the Sunday newspaper ‘Bild am Sonntag’, Lauterbach assured that, in case there has been contact with an infected person and even if they have received the booster dose, “it is even advisable to do a daily test.”

This is necessary because the tests do not always react to omicron at the beginning of an infection and that the frequency of the tests increases safety, as explained by the minister, who has also recommended the use of FFP2 masks in closed spaces.

Germany registered 52,504 new confirmed coronavirus infections this Sunday, 15,952 more than last week, according to the latest figures from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for virology. The weekly incidence stood at 515.7 infections per 100,000 inhabitants, which is a new record, exceeding 500 cases for the first time.

In addition, another 47 people with coronavirus have died, bringing the total number of deaths from the pandemic to 115,619. The number of infections since the beginning of the pandemic has risen to 7,965,977.

72.6% of the population have received the complete schedule of the coronavirus vaccine, 46.6% the booster dose and 75% at least the first dose.



www.eldiario.es