LATEST: Germany's Covid infection rate drops below 40 mark
Germany's 7-day incidence per 100,000 people dropped below 40 on Friday - signalling a very positive trend. Here's a look at the latest numbers and what they mean.
What are the latest numbers?
On Friday, Germany reported 7,380 coronavirus infections within 24 hours. For comparison, a week ago 8,769 infections were logged.
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported a 7-day incidence of 39.8 Covid cases per 100,000 people nationwide on Friday morning (previous day: 41; previous week: 67).
As we reported on Wednesday, the 7-day incidence has fallen below the critical threshold of 50 cases per 100,000 residents for the first time since October 2020 - a massive achievement for Germany which has struggled to battle the second and third wave since the end of summer and autumn last year.
READ ALSO: Germany’s Covid case rate falls below the threshold of 50 for first time since October
According to the latest figures from Friday, 192 new deaths were recorded in Germany within 24 hours. A week ago, 226 people were reported to have died.
We have to be careful with the data because on public holidays, such as the Whit Monday on May 24th, fewer people visit the doctor, which can mean fewer infections are reported.
However, experts have also pointed out that more people are being tested for Covid-19 to access facilities such as outdoor dining and swimming pools so the numbers may balance out.
READ ALSO: How did Germany get Covid cases down - and can the trend continue?
According to German data journalist Olaf Gersemann, the amount of active Covid cases and the 7-day average of new cases has also fallen compared to previous weeks. Gersemann said on Friday that there is "still no sign of a rebound" after the Whitsun holiday.
Die aktiven Fälle und 7-Tage-Schnitt der neuen #Corona-Fälle in 🇩🇪 liegen im Vorwochenvergleich weiter sehr tief im Minus.
Eine Nachmelde-Rückprall nach Pfingsten ist weiter nicht zu erkennen.@welt pic.twitter.com/97XovqFiRp
— Olaf Gersemann (@OlafGersemann) May 28, 2021
Coronavirus cases in Germany have been steadily falling for the past month. The latest figures mean that the coronavirus 7-day incidence is lower than the level in the USA for the first time since mid-April.
Erstmals seit Mitte April liegt die #Corona-Inzidenz in 🇩🇪 wieder unter 🇺🇸-Niveau.@welt pic.twitter.com/qK2g9SaE1o
— Olaf Gersemann (@OlafGersemann) May 28, 2021
What else should we know?
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the RKI has logged 3,669,870 proven infections with Sars-CoV-2. The actual total number, however, is probably much higher, as many infections are not recognised.
The RKI gave the estimated number of those who recovered as 3,461,700. The number of people who have died from or with Covid in Germany since the pandemic began stands at 88,187.
According to the RKI situation report on Thursday evening, the nationwide 7-day reproductive (R) number was 0.70 (previous day: 0.71).
This means that 100 infected people on average go on to infect 70 other people. The R number represents the infection rate between 8 and 16 days ago. If it is below 1 for a longer period of time, the number of infections is decreasing; if it is continuously above 1, the number of cases is going up.
More than 42 percent of the German population has received at least one Covid vaccine dose, while 16.4 percent of people are fully vaccinated, the latest figures show.
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What are the latest numbers?
On Friday, Germany reported 7,380 coronavirus infections within 24 hours. For comparison, a week ago 8,769 infections were logged.
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported a 7-day incidence of 39.8 Covid cases per 100,000 people nationwide on Friday morning (previous day: 41; previous week: 67).
As we reported on Wednesday, the 7-day incidence has fallen below the critical threshold of 50 cases per 100,000 residents for the first time since October 2020 - a massive achievement for Germany which has struggled to battle the second and third wave since the end of summer and autumn last year.
READ ALSO: Germany’s Covid case rate falls below the threshold of 50 for first time since October
According to the latest figures from Friday, 192 new deaths were recorded in Germany within 24 hours. A week ago, 226 people were reported to have died.
We have to be careful with the data because on public holidays, such as the Whit Monday on May 24th, fewer people visit the doctor, which can mean fewer infections are reported.
However, experts have also pointed out that more people are being tested for Covid-19 to access facilities such as outdoor dining and swimming pools so the numbers may balance out.
READ ALSO: How did Germany get Covid cases down - and can the trend continue?
According to German data journalist Olaf Gersemann, the amount of active Covid cases and the 7-day average of new cases has also fallen compared to previous weeks. Gersemann said on Friday that there is "still no sign of a rebound" after the Whitsun holiday.
Die aktiven Fälle und 7-Tage-Schnitt der neuen #Corona-Fälle in 🇩🇪 liegen im Vorwochenvergleich weiter sehr tief im Minus.
— Olaf Gersemann (@OlafGersemann) May 28, 2021
Eine Nachmelde-Rückprall nach Pfingsten ist weiter nicht zu erkennen.@welt pic.twitter.com/97XovqFiRp
Coronavirus cases in Germany have been steadily falling for the past month. The latest figures mean that the coronavirus 7-day incidence is lower than the level in the USA for the first time since mid-April.
Erstmals seit Mitte April liegt die #Corona-Inzidenz in 🇩🇪 wieder unter 🇺🇸-Niveau.@welt pic.twitter.com/qK2g9SaE1o
— Olaf Gersemann (@OlafGersemann) May 28, 2021
What else should we know?
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the RKI has logged 3,669,870 proven infections with Sars-CoV-2. The actual total number, however, is probably much higher, as many infections are not recognised.
The RKI gave the estimated number of those who recovered as 3,461,700. The number of people who have died from or with Covid in Germany since the pandemic began stands at 88,187.
According to the RKI situation report on Thursday evening, the nationwide 7-day reproductive (R) number was 0.70 (previous day: 0.71).
This means that 100 infected people on average go on to infect 70 other people. The R number represents the infection rate between 8 and 16 days ago. If it is below 1 for a longer period of time, the number of infections is decreasing; if it is continuously above 1, the number of cases is going up.
More than 42 percent of the German population has received at least one Covid vaccine dose, while 16.4 percent of people are fully vaccinated, the latest figures show.
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