German health care system will collapse, says Merkel as COVID-19 cases rise

The coronavirus incidence in Germany is very high, and if this continues, the healthcare system will reach its limits in a few weeks, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday.

“We are talking about the fact that the rate of the virus spread is especially high, we see an exponential increase in numbers. … Today we had twice as many new infections as a week ago, similarly with other important indicators. For example, the number of patients in intensive care has doubled over the last 10 days,” Merkel said at a press conference in Berlin following an online meeting with the heads of federal states on countering the coronavirus pandemic.

The number of patients who are on lung ventilation has also doubled in nine days, she noted.

“Our healthcare system today is still coping with these challenges, but if these rates continue, then we will reach the limits of the capabilities of the health care system within few weeks,” the chancellor added.

Germany coped relatively well with the first coronavirus wave earlier in the year but numbers have risen rapidly in recent weeks. The country’s tally of new daily cases regularly crosses the 10,000 mark.

That is still well below figures seen in neighbouring France, where daily cases have topped 50,000, or Belgium where hospitals are reaching capacity.

Germany has recorded 449,275 coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic. A total of 10,098 people have died so far.

In the light of surging cases , Chancellor Angela Merkel and Germany’s state premiers announced a partial lockdown from November 2. The nationwide lockdown called as “lockdown light”. The proposed new restrictions would include closing restaurants and bars and putting strict limits on private and public gatherings while keeping schools, daycares and shops open.