Germany's Virus Curbs Are Working, Say Experts
Sumaira FH Published April 03, 2020 | 04:25 PM
Measures taken by German officials to slow the spread of the coronavirus are starting to show effect, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for disease control said on Friday
Berlin, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Apr, 2020 ) :Measures taken by German officials to slow the spread of the coronavirus are starting to show effect, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for disease control said on Friday.
"We are seeing that the spread of the virus is getting slower... it's working," said RKI president Lothar Wieler, stressing that restrictions on public life "need to be maintained" and it was too early to claim victory.
Wieler explained that each person who had caught the virus was now infecting only one person on average, where previously that number had been as high as seven.
"If the number is below one, then it means the epidemic is slowly easing up. That is our aim," he said.
"We know that we have pushed the number down to one with the measures, and we hope to push it down further." Wieler nonetheless urged the public to keep observing government restrictions, which include a ban on public gatherings of more than two people and a requirement to stay at least 1.5 metres (five feet) from others at all times.
"I need to say very clearly: the measures need to be maintained. Keeping your distance and staying at home is imperative, otherwise we will not push the number under one," he said.
Federal states across the country have introduced penalties to crack down on those flouting the rules.
In the capital city Berlin, people risk being fined up to 500 Euros ($540) for standing too close to each other.
Meanwhile, the RKI altered its recommendations on Friday to encourage citizens to wear self-made masks in public.
It was "important to understand" that such masks would not protect the wearer, but they could help to protect others, said Wieler.
He added that there was "not yet any scientific proof" that the masks would limit the spread of the virus, but it "seemed plausible".
According to RKI figures on Friday, Germany has recorded more than 79,000 cases of the novel coronavirus.
A total of 1,017 deaths have been recorded, though RKI president Wieler warned Friday that the actual number could be much higher.
"We won't manage to test every single person... I assume we will have more deaths than are officially recorded," he said.
Wieler also said that the mortality rate would "continue to rise" in Germany.
Latest figures showed that the death rate in Europe's largest economy had jumped to 1.2 percent, still considerably lower than that of neighbouring countries.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Nawaz Sharif’s sons acquitted in three NAB references
Expert call for taxing tobacco to help channelize public health initiatives
Pakistan attaches great value to its fraternal ties with Bahrain: President
Pakistan denounces fresh round of curbs on Kashmiri political parties
Shadab Khan honors mother, wife with PSL 9 medal, award
US urges Taliban to stop terrorist attacks on Pakistan from Afghan Soil
Nawaz Sharif decides to travel to KSA, London
New political party to emerge soon, says Shahhid Khaqan Abbasi
Islamabad United win hearts, expresses solidarity with Palestinians
Vivo Unveils the Future of Portrait Photography with the Premium and Elegant V30 ..
Infinix NOTE 40 series defies norms with the introduction of upto 20W MagCharge ..
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 19 March 2024
More Stories From World
-
Qatar 'cautiously optimistic' as Gaza truce talks progress
4 minutes ago -
Macron vows 'unprecedented operation' against drugs in Marseille
43 minutes ago -
Floundering Granada hire Sandoval in bid to escape relegation
44 minutes ago -
US linguist couple map fantasy languages for the screen
44 minutes ago -
Two police among 6 killed as truck rams into Spanish checkpoint
1 hour ago -
Ambassador Hashmi visits Center for Pakistan Studies at Peking University, Beijing
1 hour ago
-
Football: Asian qualifying tables for 2026 World Cup
1 hour ago -
Israel may be using starvation as 'weapon of war': UN
1 hour ago -
China stands ready to develop five corridors to build upgraded CPEC: Lin Jian
1 hour ago -
US defence chief says Washington will not let Ukraine fail
2 hours ago -
AstraZeneca buys US biopharma firm Fusion
2 hours ago -
Sri Lanka's Hasaranga out of retirement for Bangladesh Test series
4 hours ago