Coronavirus infection rate rises in Germany

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 933 to 170,508, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Tuesday.

The reported death toll rose by 116 to 7,533, the tally showed.

The scientific body advising the German government on coronavirus says it is not concerned that the virus reproduction rate - the R rate - has been above one for three straight days.

Above R1.0 means that, statistically, one infected person is passing the virus to more than one other person.

But Lars Schaade of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) said only if the R value rose above 1.2 or 1.3 for several days would he be worried.

The data is also subject to delays.

Mr Schaade said "individual days are not a problem".

He also said that the fewer the overall number of infections, the greater the impact of an outbreak - like those recently reported in slaughterhouses - on the R value.

 

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