The number of new infections, underlines an analysis by Commerzbank Research, has brought the incidence to 336.9 weekly cases per 100 thousand inhabitants and in the last week 5.15 hospitalizations have been reported per 100 thousand inhabitants, a figure destined to double. 10 given the current increase in infections. At the peak at the beginning of the year, the rate had reached 15.
The lockdowns are triggered, total blockade for Austria
Regional authorities are forced to return to lockdowns: in Saxony, where only 57.6% of the population is vaccinated, a two-to-three-week plan is being studied for the closure of restaurants, hotels and shops. Even Upper Austria and Salzburg had already decided to go into lockdown for “a few weeks” to reduce incidences ranging between 1,500 and 1,700. On November 19 came the announcement that the entire country will opt for the lockdown starting from Monday, for a period of 10 days with “evaluation” on renewals. The vaccination obligation will also take effect from 1 February 2022.
In Germany, the regional approach is no longer considered sufficient and the premier of the Länder met on November 18 with Chancellor Angela Merkel to approve uniform restrictions across the country for access to public services and measures to incentivize vaccination. The formal green light for the measures arrived today at the Bundesrat, the representative body of the Länder. Among the decisions of the package, in addition to the threshold that triggers 2G and 2G +, there is the obligation to vaccinate health personnel and in particular for those who work in the Rsa.
“The situation is highly dramatic,” the Chancellor reiterated. “It is absolutely time to act. We would not have had to resort to current measures if more people had been vaccinated and we cannot afford to double the number of beds occupied in intensive care, ”concluded Merkel.
At the Bundestag new law to regulate restrictions
Meanwhile, the Bundestag, the federal parliament, approved at first reading the new law to regulate the restrictions that replaces that sort of “state of emergency”, expiring on November 25 and in force from March 2020, which allowed the Länder to enact containment measures on a local basis.