Schwerin (dpa/mv) - Despite the increasing number of corona infections and increasing hospital admissions, the state's pandemic expert council currently sees no risk of the health system in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania being overloaded. Nevertheless, a complete reduction in infections over the summer, as in the past few years, is not to be expected, Health Minister Stefanie Drese (SPD) reported after the first meeting of the expert panel she had convened on Tuesday. The group met via video link.
"By autumn at the latest" there will be a high probability of another sharp increase in the number of infections and further mutations, said Drese. Their ability to make people ill (pathogenicity) cannot yet be assessed. It is all the more important to start preparing now. The expert council is to develop proposals for this. Two more meetings are planned by the end of August, with the next on July 26.
The most important thing in autumn and winter is the protection of the health system, the critical infrastructure and the vulnerable population groups, explained Drese. In order to achieve these goals, a continuous assessment of the situation, the maintenance of a vaccination and test infrastructure and basic infection protection measures such as maintaining the mask requirement in public transport and in care facilities are required.
Should the situation require it, further options should be available from autumn, such as a general obligation to wear masks, indoor distance requirements and tests in schools. "To do this, the Infection Protection Act must be amended in good time," demanded the minister.
The Corona Expert Council includes Professors Nils-Olaf Hübner, Lars Kaderali and Emil Reisinger as well as representatives of charities, institutions and medical associations. Politics and authorities are also represented, including the municipalities, the state government and the state office for health and social affairs.
On Tuesday, the State Office for Health and Social Affairs reported a seven-day incidence of new infections of 620.9. A week ago the value was 567.1. The important number of hospital admissions per 100,000 inhabitants in seven days was 5.5 after 4.5 a week ago. In some regions, however, the seven-day incidence of hospital admissions is significantly higher: In Schwerin, for example, it was 9.4 on Tuesday and 9.0 in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district.
