Germany reported 446 new corona-related deaths on Wednesday, the highest daily figure since mid-February. Hospitals are concerned about the many admissions of corona patients to intensive care.
There is a warning that the number of corona patients on ICs is threatening to exceed the peak of last winter.
The head of an association for IC care, Gernot Marx, thinks the number of corona patients in intensive care units may rise to 6000 before Christmas, regardless of which corona measures are still taken. There are currently about 4600. In addition, about 1400 new corona patients were admitted to the ICs last week.
The resurgence of the coronavirus has pushed the official death toll in Germany to nearly 102,000. The Robert Koch Institute for Disease Control (RKI) reported nearly 67,200 new infections on Wednesday. However, the daily average of the past week drops to 442.9 infections per 100,000 inhabitants. The average fell Tuesday for the first time since early November.
The corona situation is dire in the south and east of Germany, where vaccination rates are lagging behind the national average. 68.6 percent of the population is fully vaccinated. Politicians are considering introducing a general vaccination obligation.
The expected successor to Chancellor Angela Merkel, Olaf Scholz, wants parliament to make a statement this year. If the green light is given, the vaccination obligation will apply from February or March.