German healthcare struggles with Covid contact tracing

People wearing face masks stand in a reportedly 700-metre-long queue to get vaccinated in the northern German city of Hamburg. Pic/AFP

A large proportion of public health departments in Germany have already stopped contact tracing for people infected with Covid-19 due to overload, said Ute Teichert, the federal chairwoman of public health physicians. "Comprehensive tracking is almost not happening at all right now," Teichert told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND), adding that several federal states such as Baden-Wuerttemberg, Berlin and Hamburg "even completely suspended contact searches," a news agency reported.

Germany is bracing for a new wave of Covid-19 pandemic, caused by the more infectious Omicron variant, to hit the country. The Omicron wave could even worsen staff shortages in the country's healthcare system. "Because of the Omicron variant, we are running into a situation in Germany where health departments will eventually not be able to compensate for sick staff," she said.

After introducing stricter health measures, Germany's Covid-19 incidence rate has been declining for around two weeks and fell to 265.8 infections per 100,000 inhabitants per week, down from around 332 last week, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). Daily infections also declined and dropped to 35,431 cases within one day, around 15,500.

South Africa stops the chase

South Africa has with immediate effect stopped tracing and quarantining contacts of confirmed cases of Covid-19, said the Department of Health. "All contact tracing be stopped with immediate effect except in congregate settings and cluster outbreak situations or self-contained settings. All contacts must not be tested unless they develop symptoms," said Department of Health Director-General Sandile Buthelezi. He said all contacts should continue with their normal duties with daily temperature testing and symptom screening of any early signs, as per agency reports. If contacts develop symptoms, they should be tested and be managed according to the severity of the symptoms.

Cases spike in LA

The spike in single-day Covid-19 cases in Los Angeles County, more than tripled in the past few days. The Los Angeles County Public Health Department reported 9,988 new cases on Christmas Eve, a record daily high.

27,94,99,808
Total number of cases Worldwide as of Saturday

54,11,929
Total no. of deaths due worldwide

24,98,80,817
Patients recovered worldwide as of Saturday

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