Thursday’s statement by Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, stated that coronavirus cases in Germany are increasing at an alarming rate. She appealed for reluctant citizens to get vaccinated, and encouraged compatriots to be more enthusiastic about the jabs in order to persuade other people.
The infection rate in Germany is still very low when compared to other European countries. It has been steadily rising since July 6, when it was at 4.9 new cases per 100,000 people. This is due to the dominant, more contagious delta variant. The infection rate was 12.2 on Thursday.
Merkel said that the figures are increasing with “worrying momentum” to reporters in Berlin. “We are experiencing exponential growth.” She appealed for Germans to adhere to the mask-wearing and distancing rules but stated that vaccination is the only way to defeat the pandemic.
She said that this would allow the country deal with more cases in the “looming fourth-wave” of infections without overburdening its health system.
Nearly 60% of Germans had already received their first vaccine dose by Thursday. 48% of them were complete vaccinated. However, the rate of vaccinations has slowed as more cases are reported.
Merkel stated, “We all want our normality to return.” “But we can’t get our normality back by ourselves — only as a whole community. We need to have significantly more vaccine protection in order to achieve this.
Each shot is “one small thing” towards bringing back normal life for all and protecting loved ones.
In the beginning months of the year, when the EU’s vaccination drive was slower than in the U.K. and Israel, harsh criticisms were levelled at the German government and its counterparts in 27-nation European Union. It has made up a lot of the difference.
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Merkel said Thursday that she believes the European approach is right. She stated that it was “absolutely correct” to order vaccines through the EU and not Germany alone.
She said, “That is what distinguishes us. We can be proud of that.” “If we can see that we gave away very little in the first month, it is a good sign.
She said, “Now we are at the point where we must plead for people get vaccinated to really overcome this pandemic.”