Coronavirus…and a sense of déjà vu
The relaxation of rules, and the subsequent holidays undertaken by a majority of its population last summer, had undone all the good work Germany had done in its overall handling of the situation during the first wave of the pandemic
As another winter beckons there’s fear of a similar such spike even as the country’s premier health body believes the fourth wave of COVID-19 is already rolling through
Even as the month of August comes to an end Germany’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic remains shrouded in ambiguity. A superficial look at the statistics does showcase some improvements but delving deep suggests things haven’t progressed on expected lines and a lot more needs to be done.
In the list of countries with most corona virus infections Germany is now down to №15, after being among the top 10 for a considerable period of time — peaking at №8 around April and May. The total number of cases is yet to reach the four million mark, the recoveries are on the upswing and the number of deaths is yet to touch six figures, as is unfortunately the case with 13 other countries.
According to the Federal Ministry of Health, by the third week of August almost 48.7 million people or 58.5 percent of the total population are now fully vaccinated with the second dose, and nearly 53.1 million — or 63.8 percent — have had at least one shot of the vaccine vaccination. More importantly, 82.9 percent of those aged over 60 are now fully vaccinated. It is imperative to mention that the numbers are on the upswing every passing moment. For instance, by the last week of August about 61 percent of Germany’s population had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Great numbers you may think.
Think again!
For the numbers in Germany do not exactly give the complete picture. Even as the newer and more powerful variant of the virus, the Delta variant, wreaks havoc around the world, Europe’s most powerful economy is as much at risk as any other country. Add to it the fact that the population, increasingly frustrated by the slow pace things are moving, is more recalcitrant than understanding makes it worse.
Besides, vaccine hesitancy is not confined to France — with almost 65 % of its population fully vaccinated — alone. While the recent protests by campaigners against the health pass — that includes a QR code that businesses can scan for an individual to show that they have been fully vaccinated or not, on the streets of Paris was well documented the same is the case in all over Europe, and in Germany almost every weekend. In fact, in the last week of August the frustration was all the more evident in Berlin, the German capital, where the police had to detain some people, who tried to enter the government district, during protests against the additional coronavirus restrictions. Additional force had to be brought in after clashes broke out, and the police ended up filing dozens of minor and criminal charges.
That apart, there’s the holiday syndrome and it’s after effects. After more than six months of lockdown, first imposed in November last year, when the lockerungen (loosening or relaxations) were announced it was palpable that the Germans, afflicted by corona fatigue, made venturing out for a summer vacation their priority. Unfortunately, this desire to go for a holiday has ensured not all is hunky dory. Many had to extend their vacations owing to continuous modifications in entry and testing regulations. According to a vacation report, from the health insurance company DAK, one in five Germans did not recover well during their summer vacation, and came back stressed out. The major reason…well the corona pandemic. What else?
Statistics also point towards other grim realities. According to the latest weekly report of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) the proportion of positive samples under the corona PCR tests in laboratories rose from four to six percent within a week by mid-August. The seven-day incidences have almost tripled since the beginning of August. In fact the RKI recorded a faster increase in incidences than in summer 2020, this despite an increasing vaccination rate. Reports also suggest some of the German citizens have also been infected in holiday regions such as the Balkans, Turkey or Spain. All of this has ensured a sense of déjà vu.
It is imperative here to reiterate that Germany had received appreciation from all quarters for its handling of the situation during the first wave. However, the relaxations thereafter, and the resulting holidays, rather vacations undertaken by Germans last summer had ensured all the good work was undone. From last autumn to winter Germany witnessed the second and the third wave, with things going from bad to worse — the end result being the extended lockdown.
As this summer comes to a close there’s fear about another such spike in autumn. According to RKI the fourth wave of COVID is already rolling through Germany. With the incidence increasing, and the vaccination campaign stalling, the federal and state governments have been forced to discuss a corona strategy for autumn. As such, beginning August 23, stricter rules has been imposed. This new 3G rule means residents have to prove that they have recovered, have been vaccinated or tested — for indoor catering, among other things, but also at large outdoor events. That said the 3G rules apply when the seven-day incidence rises above 35 but does not apply to shopping or to a doctor’s visit.
It has also been decided that people, who have neither been vaccinated nor recovered, will have to pay for their corona test themselves beginning October 11. Besides, they will have to show more frequent corona tests. Free tests will only be available in exceptional cases. All these steps is a pointer to the fact that vaccination readiness needs to be increased in Germany.
Retiring Chancellor Angela Merkel has consulted with the Prime Ministers of all the states and decided to stop the free tests in autumn, in a bid to make unvaccinated people more responsible. According to the RKI, so-called herd immunity is achieved with a vaccination rate of more than 80 percent, and with this decision, Merkel has now indicated the government’s goal of achieving such a vaccination rate with pressure rather than with incentives.
Besides, Jens Spahn, the Health Minister, is keen on ensuring booster vaccination — a third dose — for all citizens. The vaccinations against the virus were administered more than six months ago for many elderly people and high-risk patients, and the more contagious Delta variant was yet to appear at the time. In such a scenario the federal government preparing for booster vaccinations from autumn makes sense.
While the government’s corona strategy for the autumn is supposed to be an attempt to prevent a new lockdown in autumn, the new resolutions have met with a mixed response. Germans, like people from all other countries, are frustrated with this continuous atmosphere of fear, and put the blame on their government for their poor handling of the situation.
It is being said that if the unvaccinated people are tested, and the vaccination campaign is continued, another lockdown for everyone is probably no longer necessary. While another lockdown is yet to be discussed many Germans are skeptical about it, some even suggesting that the government will impose one once the federal elections, scheduled in the last week of September, are over. If that indeed happens remains to be seen.
