German disease control head warns of ‘terrible Christmas’ as hospitals reach breaking point
The head of Germany’s disease control agency has warned the country faces a “really terrible Christmas” amid news that overrun hospitals are sending patients abroad.
German politicians are debating measures that would replace the nationwide epidemic rules, which will expire at the end of the month. It comes as the country’s hospitals face an overwhelming fourth wave with two patients today sent across the border to Italy for care.
The Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s disease control agency, said on Thursday that 65,371 newly confirmed cases had been reported in a single day, continuing the upward trend that experts have been warning about for weeks.
“We are currently heading towards a serious emergency,” said the agency’s director, Lothar Wieler. “We are going to have a really terrible Christmas if we don’t take counter-measures now.”
Wieler said Germany needs to increase its vaccination rates to significantly above 75 per cent, from 67.7 per cent at present.
Some regions in Germany have vaccination rates as low as 57.6%.
He also called for the closure of clubs and bars, an end to large-scale events and access to many parts of public life to be limited to those with vaccine or recovery certificates.
Wieler warned that hospitals across Germany are struggling to find beds for Covid-19 patients and those with other illnesses.