Berlin, Jan. 25, (dpa/GNA) – The new variant of the coronavirus discovered in Britain will become the dominant strain of the virus in Germany, says Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief of staff.
Speaking on a political talk show hosted by Anne Will, Helge Braun said the new variant would “create problems” in Germany, making it all the more important to bring the infection rate down significantly.
“We are already dealing with the variant in several hospitals. That means it has arrived in our country, and at some point – as in other countries – it will take the lead and cause problems,” Braun said. “I’m very sure of that.”
“We want to keep it out of the country as long as possible and keep it contained where it is already present,” he added.
The new virus type has so far mainly occurred in Britain.
According to experts, the variant is more infectious. However, it is not yet possible to say with certainty whether it is also more deadly.
The infection rate in Germany has gradually started falling.
On Monday, the Robert Koch Institute for disease control recorded 6,729 new cases in 24 hours – slightly lower than the 7,141 cases recorded in the same period last week.
The caseload recorded at weekends is usually lower than during the week due to a reduction in testing.
GNA