BERLIN (Reuters) – German health experts on Saturday warned against further loosening of measures to lock down the coronavirus as the number of cases has risen again, increasing the likelihood that infections could reach peaks again by mid-April around Christmas.
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases predicted that the number of cases reported daily by the 14th week of the year could exceed 30,000 as of April 12.
“An extrapolation of the trends shows that case numbers above the Christmas level can be expected from week 14,” the RKI said in its current situation report.
On Saturday, the number of COVID-19 cases rose by 12,674 and the death toll by 239, with the number of cases per 100,000 rising from 72.4 to 76.1 over seven days.
The death toll in Germany from the virus stands at 73,301, with a reported 2,558,455 infections.
Frustration over the ongoing lockdown and slow pace of vaccinations has undermined Chancellor Angela Merkel’s support for conservatives, also under fire over a scandal over the purchase of face masks involving party lawmakers.
A small group of protesters braved the rain in Berlin on Saturday to demonstrate against the lockdown.
Merkel’s Christian Democrats have seen support slip in two states where regional elections on Sunday will be a crucial gauge of popular sentiment ahead of a federal election in September.
Merkel and state leaders agreed on a phased relaxation of the curbs earlier this month, along with an “emergency brake” to allow authorities to re-impose the restrictions if the number of cases exceeds 100 per 100,000 on three consecutive days.
The RKI report said the rapid spread in Germany of a more contagious virus variant first discovered in Britain could mean the number of cases per 100,000 is between 200 and 500 by mid-April.
Leaders will meet again on March 22 to discuss whether further relaxation of the rules is possible.
“We can only have more relaxation when there are stable or declining business figures,” Karl Lauterbach, health expert for the Social Democrats, told Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper, adding that this was unlikely in the short term.
Reporting by Emma Thomasson; Editing by Ros Russell