Almost 30 percent of people in Germany have received at least one vaccine dose

For the third time since the coronavirus vaccine rollout began, more than 800.000 doses have been administered in a single day in Germany. 29,5 percent of the adult population has now received at least one jab. 

More than 800.000 people vaccinated in Germany on Tuesday

On Tuesday, May 4, 813.290 people in Germany were vaccinated against coronavirus, according to the Robert Koch Institute. As Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn announced on Twitter, that makes Tuesday the third day since the start of Germany’s vaccination campaign on which more than 800.000 doses have been administered. “And with 150.000, a daily record for important second vaccinations,” he added. 

The figure is yet another indication that, after getting off to a shaky start, the country’s vaccine rollout is finally beginning to pick up pace. Last Wednesday, a new record was set for the number of vaccinations administered within 24 hours, with more than a million people being vaccinated against the virus. 

So far, 29,5 percent of people in Germany have received at least one vaccine dose. 8,3 percent of the population are now fully vaccinated. All in all, vaccination centres across the country - including GP surgeries - have administered just under 31,5 million doses. On average, eight people are currently being vaccinated every second. 

The vaccination rate varies between federal states. The highest immunisation rate has been achieved so far by Saarland, where 33,1 percent of adults have had at least one dose. Brandenburg is slightly behind the other states with a vaccination rate of 26,4 percent. 

Too early to talk about further relaxations, says Spahn

While acknowledging that great gains had been made, Spahn called for caution when it came to demands for restrictions to be loosened. “We have cause for a lot of confidence and perspective, the number of vaccinations is increasing, we can relax,” he told public broadcaster ARD. “But we are also still in the third wave.” 

He noted that, while numbers are reducing, they are not yet low enough for the country to think about loosening more restrictions. The experiences in other countries around the world have shown: “If you open up too quickly, it [the virus] can catch up with you very, very quickly,” Spahn said. “We do it step by step with a sense of proportion, but also with an understanding that this is about fundamental rights and freedoms.”