BERLIN (GERMANY) – Germany’s health minister said new measures would be needed to control the spread of new, more infectious variants of the coronavirus. Additional measures would include more health checks for cross-border commuters and reinforcing gene sequencing of virus samples.
In future, health labs will have to sequence 5% of the samples collected during coronavirus screening to check if they match more virulent strains first identified in Britain and South Africa, or whether new strains have surfaced in Germany.
National and regional leaders are likely to meet on Tuesday to zero in on new measures designed to bring the pandemic under control.
Health minister Jens Spahn told broadcaster ARD, “The (infection) numbers seem to be decreasing, which is good, but we are still a long way from where we want to be.”
New coronavirus infections have been been less in recent days and the occupancy of intensive care beds by COVID-19 patients has also come down by 10-15%, according to Spahn, who added that intensified testing of cross-border commuters should be launched to help keep new strains entering Germany at bay.
Authorities are mulling over stricter requirements for companies allowing staff to work from home, compulsory wearing of heavy duty FFP2 masks in certain areas, restrictions on public transport and the introduction of curfews.