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 "The figures must not only stagnate, they must go down," Spahn told
a news conference, adding that an accelerated vaccination campaign
was helping but that there were still too many people being treated
in intensive care wards.
Germany's seven-day average of coronavirus cases per 100,000 people
fell on Thursday for the third day in a row to 155 - its lowest
level in two weeks, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for
infectious diseases showed.
The incidence figure - a key metric used by the German government to
determine when to tighten or ease lockdowns - hit 169 on Monday, but
has fallen each day since then. The last time it was under 160 was
on April 14, when the incidence was 153.
Germany has been struggling to contain a third wave of infections,
with efforts complicated by the more contagious B117 variant, which
was first identified in Britain, and a relatively slow start to its
national vaccination campaign.
LOCKDOWNS
Parts of Germany imposed tougher lockdown rules last weekend after
Chancellor Angela Merkel drew up legislation to give the federal
government more powers after some of the 16 federal states refused
stricter measures.
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 The new law enables the
government to impose curfews between 10 p.m. and
5 a.m. in districts where cases exceed 100 per
100,000 residents on three consecutive days. The
rules also include stricter limits on private
gatherings and shopping. Schools
will have to close and return to online lessons if cases reach 165
per 100,000 residents on three consecutive days.
If the European Union's watchdog approves COVID-19 vaccines for
children, Germany will be able to vaccinate under 12-year-olds
during the summer holidays at the latest, Spahn said.
The number of new confirmed coronavirus cases rose by 24,736 on
Thursday - almost 5,000 fewer than those recorded a week ago -
bringing Germany's total caseload since the start of the pandemic to
3,357,268.
The total COVID-19 death toll rose by 264 to 82,544.
(Reporting by Emma Thomasson, Caroline Copley, editing by Kirsti
Knolle and Gareth Jones)
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