Germany’s health minister announced that most of the country’s population will either be “vaccinated, cured, or dead” from COVID-19 after the winter as another surge in cases hits the country.
German Health Minister Jens Spahn’s statement comes after figures for COVID-19 cases in Germany released Monday showed 30,000 new cases within the past 24 hours. Last week saw 65,000 new cases in a single day, according to CNN. Because of the increase in COVID-19 cases, intensive care units are reportedly nearing their maximum capacity at hospitals across the country. Doctors said they are prepared to triage patients who have the best chance of survival.
“Probably by the end of the winter, more or less everyone in Germany will be vaccinated, cured, or dead,” Spahn said. “That sounds cynical, but that is the reality.”
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Policies such as excluding unvaccinated people from public spaces and workplaces are already in effect, yet outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel said the policies are not enough to curb the new cases.
“We are in a highly dramatic situation. What is in place now is not sufficient,” Merkel said.
Merkel told Germany’s 16 states to decide on stricter measures by Wednesday. If they do not, the country may have to go back into a nationwide lockdown. Bavaria and Saxony, the states hit the worst by the virus, have already ordered bars and clubs to close and canceled the traditional Christmas markets. Merkel said she is not confident that will be enough.
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Vaccines are not mandated in Germany. However, the leaders of the 16 states agreed they want a law mandating that health workers and the elderly get vaccinated, according to the Guardian.
Approximately 68% of Germany is vaccinated, the Guardian reported. Germany’s southern neighbor, Austria, is in a 20-day national lockdown. A vaccine mandate will go into effect in Austria starting Feb. 1, making it the second European country to mandate the vaccines. The first was the Vatican.
