Worldwide, the number of new deaths has increased three days in a row. Europe remains the most affected continent with the UK registering more than 32 000 fatalities – more than anywhere else on the continent.
The Coronavirus infection rate in Germany has risen, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for the second day in a row. The RKI announced on Sunday evening in its current management report that the reproduction rate (R) had changed to 1,10 on Saturday.
Statistically, if each infected person infects more than one other person, and the number of cases would increase again. The RKI has repeatedly emphasized that in order to let the epidemic subside, the number of reproductions must be below 1.
The value does not reflect the current situation, but for methodological reasons relates to infections that occurred a certain time ago. When interpreting, it must therefore be taken into account that the estimate is associated with uncertainty as usual, explained the RKI.
It is therefore still not possible to assess whether the trend of new infections, which has been falling over the past few weeks, has continued or whether there is a rise again. The increase in R makes it necessary to monitor developments very carefully over the next few days.
On Wednesday, the RKI had given the value at 0,65. Since then, the number of reproductions has risen steadily above the values of 0,71 and 0,83 and 1,10. At the beginning of March, the key figure was three, and on April 8 it was 1,3.
