Germany’s health minister, Karl Lauterbach on Sunday denied the Christmas lockdown, but warned that the fifth wave of Covid-19 could no longer be stopped and supported compulsory vaccination as the only way to contain the pandemic.
Speaking on broadcaster ARD, Lauterbach said, “There won’t be a lockdown here before Christmas. But we’ll get a fifth wave – we’ve passed a significant number of Omicron infections.” “This wave cannot be stopped completely now.”
In another interview with BILD, Lauterbach said he didn’t expect a “hard lockdown” to happen even after the holidays. The Netherlands, a neighbour, on Sunday began a lockdown to contain the expected surge of the virus until at least January 14.
Reading: Omicron likely to have major Covid-19 version in Europe by mid-January, says EU official
Germany banned people from entering non-essential establishments earlier in the month in an effort to control rising cases amid the spread of the Omicron version.
The government still needs to make it clear to the public what will and will not happen during the holiday season, Lauterbach said, without specifying which measures were under discussion.
The government’s scientific advisory panel said in a statement on Sunday that it was necessary to further limit contact between people, with data so far showing that boosters alone would not be enough to stop the spread of the virus.
Given how fast and widely the Omicron variant spreads – currently there are doubling of Omicron cases every 2-4 days in Germany, slower than the growth rate in the UK but the spread of other variants in Germany faster than – significantly overloading hospitals was to be expected, the statement said.
As of December 17, about 70 percent of the population has been fully vaccinated against the virus.
According to the Robert Koch Institute for Infectious Diseases, 29,348 new cases were reported in the country on Sunday and 180 people died. There was a significant increase in the number of new daily cases in October and November, but a gradual decline since the beginning of the month.
In an interview with ARD on Sunday, Lauterbach reiterated his call to make vaccinations mandatory, a policy that is due to be debated in parliament early next year and which Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said he supports.
“I believe we can beat this if we close the gap in vaccination with mandatory vaccines. That’s my clear belief,” Lauterbach said.
Read also: Germany, US plan new COVID restrictions as Omicron version spreads around the world
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