Germany is beating the coronavirus, but don’t lift restrictions too fast, officials say – Stars and Stripes

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KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany The coronavirus is in retreat in Germany, top health officials said Friday, even as they warned that it could resurge again if people let down their guard too soon and businesses reopen too quickly.

The third wave seems to be broken, Health Minister Jens Spahn told reporters in Berlin. Infection numbers are going down again, but are still at a high level. And they are not going down equally fast everywhere.

The drop in cases happened largely because people in Germany took the warnings and restrictions seriously, reduced their personal contacts which was hard for everyone and avoided unnecessary travel, he said.

The weekly incidence rate for new infections across Germany fell to just under 126 cases per 100,000 inhabitants as of Friday, according to data posted on the website of Germanys infectious diseases agency, the Robert Koch Institute.

The number of new infections was down by 10,000 compared to two weeks ago, to 18,485 infections on Friday, RKI said.

But in the district of Kaiserslautern, which is home to Ramstein Air Base and a number of Army installations, the weekly incidence rate inched up Friday to 106 new cases per 100,000, compared to 100 per 100,000 the previous day, according to RKI.

Those data, however, didnt include the tens of thousands of Americans who live in the area. If they were factored in, the district would have been below the critical incidence rate of 100 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants per week, above which federally mandated restrictions kick in, including a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew, and a requirement to be tested and make an appointment before shopping for nonessential goods like shoes and clothes.

Counting the large American military community in the Kaiserslautern district, weekly incidence falls to around 91 new cases per 100,000 residents. District councillor Ralf Lessmeister and the mayor of Ramstein-Miesenbach, Ralf Hechler, have gone to court to try to have the U.S. military community included in the population tally.

In the Bavarian district of Neustadt an der Waldnaab, which includes the Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels training areas, numbers have fallen well below 100 and beer gardens are set to reopen starting Monday, officials have announced.

Honestly, thats super exciting, said Sgt. Luis Garcia with the 41st Field Artillery Brigade. Beer gardens are one of the greatest things I liked about Germany but I think they should also do quick COVID tests ... before people go in to have a drink.

Garcia is one of around 25,000 U.S. service members, civilian employees, contractors and their families who are based in the area, U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria says on its website. In total, more than 38,000 Americans affiliated with USAG Bavaria live in Germanys largest state.

Spahn said that when new infections fall below 100 cases per 100,000 people per week, and a city or district starts to ease restrictions, it should happen outside and be supported by tests.

New infections in Stuttgart, which is home to some 20,000 Americans affiliated with the military, were above 200 per 100,000 residents Friday. In Wiesbaden, they were at 134 infections per 100,000 people.

Ninety percent of recent cases in Germany were caused by coronavirus variants, which are much more infectious than the strain of the virus that predominated during the first wave, RKI head Lothar Wieler said.

If people stop wearing masks and stand at least three feet from others, one person who is infected with a variant could spread it to four others, Wieler said, illustrating how easily the virus could gain ground again if people let down their guard.

Stars and Stripes reporters Immanuel Johnson and Marcus Kloeckner contributed to this report.

zeitvogel.karin@stripes.comTwitter: @StripesZeit

A customer picks up a slice of cake at Cafe Susann in Kaiserslautern, Germany, during the first wave of the coronavirus, May 8, 2020. A year later, Germany was in a third wave of the virus and most eateries were still doing takeout only. KARIN ZEITVOGEL/STARS AND STRIPES

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Germany is beating the coronavirus, but don't lift restrictions too fast, officials say - Stars and Stripes