Germany’s Merkel worried by ‘exponential’ increase in Covid cases
Berlin, Jul 22 (EFE).- Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday said she was worried by the “exponential” growth of coronavirus cases in Germany and urged the population to get vaccinated.
“Every vaccine is a step toward a return to normality,” she said, adding that the authorities’ priority was to prevent the country’s healthcare system from becoming overwhelmed.
“A vaccine protects you and the people you love,” Merkel added in her traditional summer press conference, her 29th and likely the last of her tenure, given that she will not run in the September elections.
The Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s federal center for disease control, on Thursday reported a continued uptick in Covid-19 infections, which have reached a weekly cumulative incidence rate of 12.2 cases per 100,000 people.
Although Germany’s cases are low compared to other European nations like Spain and the United Kingdom, the country’s health minister Jens Spahn this week warned they could quickly snowball to reach 400 cases per 100,000 by September if current trends continuedEFE
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