The Robert Koch Institute has expressed “great concern” about the rising number of coronavirus infections in Germany - and has once again urged people to stick to the rules to prevent further increases. 

Number of coronavirus cases increasing significantly in Germany

“We are in the middle of a rapidly developing pandemic,” said the President of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Lothar Wieler, as he delivered a stark warning about the development of coronavirus infections in Germany at a press conference on Tuesday. “The latest developments in the number of cases make me and everyone and the Robert Koch Institute very concerned,” said Wieler.

In early June, Germany was registering an average of 350 new cases per day. Recently, however, the numbers have risen significantly again, sparking concerns that the trend may be reversing. Over the past seven days, there have been at least 3.611 infections, or an average of 516 per day. Last Friday alone, there were 815 new cases.

The development is particularly concerning because, in contrast to recent major outbreaks (for instance at the Tӧnnies slaughterhouse in North Rhine-Westphalia), the current situation is very diffuse, with rising numbers of cases observed in multiple different municipalities. And the situation is not just confined to Germany - it’s a worldwide problem. A few weeks ago, more than 150 countries were not reporting any new cases. Now, this has fallen to just 95.  

RKI urges people to abide by coronavirus rules

“All of this is happening because we humans no longer abide by the rules,” said Wieler. He went on to once again urge people in Germany to take precautionary measures. In particular, he appealed to people to avoid parties, celebrations and similar gatherings, to prevent the virus from spreading again, “rapidly and uncontrollably”.

Pointing to the low number of daily cases over the past several weeks, Wieler said, “We can contain the virus.” However, he emphasised that this is only possible if everyone adheres to the AHA rules (Abstand, Hygiene, Atemschutz = distance, hygiene, respiratory protection). 

This means keeping a distance of at least 1,5 metres, observing the hygiene rules and wearing a mouth and nose covering in certain situations, especially if it is not possible to keep the minimum distance. “The distance and hygiene rules must remain for months. These must never be questioned,” said Wieler. “It is up to us how the pandemic will spread further in Germany.”