Coronavirus digest: Germany’s incidence rate falls for fifth day in a row

Germany recorded 4,134,779 confirmed coronavirus cases with 92,920 deaths, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) said on Saturday.

More than 8,901 new COVID-19 infections were recorded in the previous 24 hours. This is 2,313 fewer than a week ago, when 11,214 new infections were reported. 

The nationwide seven-day incidence rate also fell for the fifth day in a row to 72.0 from 74.7 the previous day. A  week ago, the value had been 82.8. 

The seven-day incidence indicates the number of new infections per 100,000 people within that time period. 

However, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations per 100,000 people within seven days increased to 1.89 on Friday, up from 1.87 on Thursday.

As more people are vaccinated, the so-called hospitalization incidence rate has been considered a key means of measuring the intensity of the pandemic. 

Germany’s highest hospitalization incidence rate had been recorded around Christmas, at approximately 15.5.

In total, more than 4.1 million COVID tests have been positive in Germany so far.

Other coronavirus-related news from around the world:

Europe

Only vaccinated guests will gain access to apres-ski establishments in Austria, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said in an interview with the Funke Media Group.

In Austria, 70% of people over age 12 are vaccinated and most tourists are too, he said. “In that respect, nothing is standing in the way of a safe holiday in Austria,” he added.

Kurz’s comments come as the trial over the spread of the coronavirus at the ski destination of Ischgl began on Friday.

Asia Pacific

Vietnam has approved Cuba’s Abdala vaccine for use against COVID-19, the government announced on Saturday, hours after President Nguyen Xuan Phuc left Hanoi for an official visit to Havana.

“The Ministry of Health has approved Abdala vaccine, based on the country’s urgent need for its COVID-19 fight,” the government said in a statement.

Abdala has become the eighth COVID-19 vaccine approved for use in the Southeast Asian country.

Vietnam has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the Southeast Asia region

Vietnam has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the region, with only 6.3% of its 98 million people having received at least two shots. The country has reported 667,650 coronavirus infections and 16,637 deaths, the majority linked to the Delta-driven outbreak from late April.

Cuba has two homegrown vaccines, Abdala and Soberana, that it says are safe and effective. Both require three jabs.

India handed out 25 million vaccine doses during a special COVID-19 vaccination drive organized on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 71st birthday.

The Health Ministry said the drive had raised India’s overall vaccinations to more than 790 million.

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya hailed the special drive as “a golden chapter written in the history of the country and the world.”

Australian police used pepper spray to disperse anti-lockdown protesters at a rally in Melbourne.

Around 1,000 demonstrators — most not wearing facemasks — gathered in the suburb of Richmond after the location of the rally was changed at the last minute to dodge police. 

Some 2,000 police officers were deployed at road checkpoints and barricades to try to stop the demonstration from going ahead. 

Melbourne’s 6th lockdown began on August 5. The city, Australia’s second-largest, reported on Saturday 535 new infections and one COVID-19 death in the latest 24-hour period.

mvb/sms (Reuters, AFP, dpa)

Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-digest-germany-s-incidence-rate-falls-for-fifth-day-in-a-row/a-59221332?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf