Germany Coronavirus Update: COVID-19 Cases Rise After Lockdown Restrictions Get Lifted

Germany’s recent move of easing the lockdown restrictions has backfired. Earlier this month, health minister Jens Spahn inferred that things were starting to get “under control” as far as the pandemic was concerned. The observation led to the government slackening the grip around the lockdown restrictions.

A few shops reopened for business, and several schools began to function as per routine. But, the return to normal seems short-lived—the numbers saw a jump from 0.9 to 1.0. The infection rate signifies the possibility of how many people can get infected by someone tested positive. Currently, 158,000 Germans have been tested positive—out of which 6,126 lives were lost while over 114,000 have recovered.

The newly reported data spells danger, as German Chancellor Angela Merkel had previously warned the country of being on the brink of absolute destruction in a matter of a few months.

"Even if we assume that one person infects 1.1 others, we would reach the limits of what our health system and intensive care beds can manage in October," said Merkel as per a media outlet, while discussing the severity of the pandemic earlier in April and the need for proactive measures to mitigate its (further) spread. “If we assume a rate of 1.2 ... we would reach the health system's limit in July. And with a rate of 1.3 - it doesn't sound like much - we would get there in June already,” she added.

Social distancing measures have worked in Germany’s favor, as the numbers saw a gradual decline when the strict ‘stay-at-home’ memo was followed by the country’s residents. But, now that the lockdown guidelines begin to see a degree of leniency, followed by a rise in the numbers, officials have sounded the alarm.

Enthusing how any complacency on the country’s part now would deter the efforts so far taken by Europe in curbing the COVID-19 spread—something that Europe has been lauded for, in the past—Lothar Wieler, president of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for disease control believes it’s advisable to practice strict lockdown exercises.

"Let us continue to stay at home as much as possible, keep observing the restrictions and keep a distance of 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) from one another," Wieler urged during a public speech in Berlin on Tuesday.