A recent spike in COVID-19 infections in Germany has sparked worries over a second wave. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has described the situation as “worrying.”

The return of COVID-19?

Over the past few weeks, Germany has seen a rise in the number of COVID-19 infections, sparking worries that a second wave might be incoming. Furthermore, the RKI has noted that the number of districts reporting no COVID-19 cases over a seven-day period has continuously decreased. “In parallel, the COVID-19 incidence has risen in many federal states. The situation is worrying,” said the RKI.

Last Friday, there were 814 new infections. This declined to 781 new cases on Saturday and 305 on Sunday. The RKI explained that this is down to a delay in testing and reporting, which is usually the case over the weekend. “Previously, the number had been around 500 cases per day, at times significantly less.” Since the start of the coronavirus crisis, there have been around 209.000 cases, 9.200 deaths and 190.000 recoveries in Germany.

Recently, there have been a number of coronavirus outbreaks around the country. Just last month there was an outbreak at a Tönnies abattoir in North Rhine-Westphalia with over 2.100 cases being connected to the outbreak, furthermore, 170 cases were confirmed at a farm in Mamming, Bavaria. The RKI has also said that a number of cases have been reported at nursing homes and hospitals.

Where in Germany?

According to the RKI, more than 60 percent of the newly reported cases are due to increases in North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. There have been smaller outbreaks across the country, which have affected many of the federal states. These have been connected to leisure activities, jobs, as well as people returning from travelling outside of Germany.

The RKI has stated it will continue to monitor the situation closely. “A further worsening of the situation must be avoided at all costs,” said the disease control agency. This will only work “if the entire population continues to be committed, for example, by consistently observing rules of distance and hygiene – also in outdoor settings, airing indoor areas and, where necessary, wearing a face mask correctly.”