signs of a further worsening of the coronavirus epidemic, as the country has just started deconfinement

The first signs of a worsening of the new coronavirus epidemic are appearing in Germany, when the country has just started deconfinement and Chancellor Angela Merkel is worried about a too rapid return to normal.

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The infection rate or reproduction rate, closely monitored by the authorities, has again reached the threshold of 1.0, according to figures published Monday evening by the Robert Koch Institute, responsible for monitoring the development of the pandemic in the country.

This means that each patient infects another person. The German government and virologists have so far always stressed the importance of having a lower rate.

This is the first time since mid-April that this infection rate has reached the threshold of 1.0. It then dropped to 0.7, before gradually rising.

In addition, the case fatality rate for Covid-19 continues to increase day by day. According to the latest figures from the Institute, it stands at 3.8%, which is still lower than the neighboring countries of Germany.

Germany had 156,337 cases on Tuesday with 5,913 deaths.

If this upward trend were to continue, it could complicate the authorities’ efforts to gradually return to normal, as public impatience increased.

The federal government and the German regions, which have the final say on health, are due to discuss next steps in deconfinement on Thursday, before decisions due on May 6.

The rise seems to confirm the fears of Angela Merkel, who pleads in favor of a line of firmness and has expressed concern on several occasions about the temptation of the opinion and many political leaders of burning the stages.

Even with an infection rate “at 1.1, we could reach the limits of our health care system in terms of intensive care beds by October,” she warned recently.

With a rate of 1.2, we will reach the limits of our healthcare system in July. With a rate of 1.3 we will get there already in June, ”said the Chancellor.

On April 20, Germany began gradually easing its restrictions on the pandemic, including the reopening of some stores and middle and high schools.

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