Coronavirus: New cases in Germany rise for first time in four days
Germany recorded the first rise in new coronavirus cases in four days after gradually easing lockdown restrictions.
There were an additional 697 cases in the past day, up from 555 a day earlier, bringing the total to 172,576. The death toll rose 92 to 7,661.
The Robert Koch Institute for disease control announced the country’s reproduction rate, or ‘R’, had risen to 1.1. When the number goes above one it means the number of infections is growing.
The agency said the estimate involved a “degree of uncertainty” and the rate would have to be observed closely over the coming days.
It comes after Chancellor Angela Merkel eased lockdown measures as the R fell to 0.7 and Germany’s 16 federal states started to open up.
Germany has received international praise for its handling of the coronavirus outbreak. Mass testing has helped a widespread lifting of the country’s national lockdown. Restaurants and shops are now allowed to reopen, and there is a phased return of schools before the summer holidays. Top-flight football will also resume at the weekend.
When relaxing the lockdown, Merkel announced there would be an emergency brake to allow measures to be reimposed if infections climb again. Social distancing rules will remain in place until at least 5 June.
It mirrors the situation in South Korea, where there has been mass testing, contact tracing and social distancing to combat the outbreak. But a new cluster of coronavirus cases in Seoul has now led to the reinstatement of measures amid fears of a new wave of cases in South Korea.
Read more: Coronavirus lockdowns: Which countries have relaxed social distancing measures?
Health officials reported 34 new cases on Sunday, a sharp increase from the past week when the country reported several days of no local infections.
There were protests across Germany over the weekend, calling on the government to lift the measures even faster. Protests held in Berlin, Munich and Stuttgart were fairly modest in size, but several resulted in violent clashes with the police.
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