Second wave fears grow in Germany

by   CIJ Linguistics
2020-07-29   08:56
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With over 3,600 new Covid-19 infections reported over the past week, German officials are becoming increasingly nervous about the chances of a return of the coronavirus. At the moment, there's no consensus on the best measures to take in order to avoid a full-blown outbreak. But while there's no support at the moment for closing the borders or mandatory testing at all crossings, those returning from Spain are now being asked to self-isolate for two weeks. "We are in the middle of a rapidly develping pandemic," said Lothar Wieler, who is the head of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). He described himself as "very concerned" by the current evolution of the situation and warned Germans that they had become complacent about the risks of not wearing masks and maintaining social distancing rules. "We don't know yet if this is the beginning of a second wave but of course it could be," said Wieler. "But I am optimistic that if we follow the hygiene rules we can prevent it, it's up to us."