Drosten, the chief virologist at Berlin’s Charité hospital and advisor to the government, said tougher measures were needed in Germany because of the increase in cases. “I have the feeling that we actually still have to use the same tools right now, that we used in the first wave,” he said. This week, he said, the more contagious variant B.1.1.7, which originated in the UK, will cover more than 90 percent of cases in Germany. On Tuesday, Germany registered 17,051 coronavirus cases within 24 hours and 249 deaths, according to the Robert Koch Institute. The number of cases per 100,000 people within a seven-day period stood at 132.3.

Source: The Local March 31, 2021 09:00 UTC