Covid update Everyone can access vaccination center bookings as of Saturday
Bonn/Region · Everyone will have access to vaccine appointment booking at the vaccination centers as of Saturday. Bonn plans to close the centers at the end of September. Moderna is hoping to provide vaccines to Germany earlier than planned. These are a few of the highlights from the GA live blog on coronavirus.
Progress continues in combatting the coronavirus in Germany. The number of infections continues to decline. Vaccine bookings are no longer restricted to specific groups. Here are some of the latest developments from the GA live blog on the pandemic.
Appointment booking for vaccination centers open to all as of Saturday
Starting on Saturday, anyone in NRW can book an appointment for a Covid-19 vaccine at a vaccination center. This was announced by Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU) in Düsseldorf on Thursday. Until now, appointments at the state's 53 vaccination centers were reserved for specific age and occupational groups.
Seven-day incidence in Bonn is dropping again
In Bonn, the number of new infections within seven days was 22 as of Thursday. The seven-day incidence was 6.7 on Thursday, down from the previous day (8.2). According to data from the city, there are currently 30 people hospitalized due to Covid-19. Eleven patients are being treated in intensive care units, nine are on ventilators. So far, 247 people have died in Bonn in connection with a coronavirus infection.
Between June 7 and June 13, there were 104 new Covid-19 infections in Bonn. 74 of these were variants, making for a rate of 71.15 percent.
NRW to close vaccination centers at the end of September
North Rhine-Westphalia plans to close its vaccination centers at the end of September. They will no longer be needed in their current form, says NRW Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann. "The vaccination centers cost 90/91 million euros every month." One half (of the costs) is covered by the state, the other by the federal government. When everyone has been vaccinated, they will no longer be needed. In NRW, it is expected that municipal, regional vaccination teams will remain active. A concept for this is currently being developed. The teams could, for example, vaccinate in places of employment for the physically impaired, in nursing and retirement homes or town halls.
Moderna wants to deliver Covid-19 vaccine to Germany earlier than planned
The European head of U.S.-based Moderna, Dan Staner, wants to deliver the promised Covid-19 vaccines to Germany earlier than planned. "Moderna hopes to provide the doses planned for Germany earlier than currently planned in the third quarter to facilitate the fastest possible progress on vaccinations," Staner told “Wirtschaftswoche”. He did not give a specific date but Staner did assure that the supply of around 80 million doses planned for 2021 would be delivered.
Meanwhile, the company is working in high gear on booster vaccines that will protect against new virus variants. "Our booster vaccine against the beta variant is currently showing the strongest effect. We expect our multivalent booster vaccine to also protect against the original virus and the variants of concern," Staner said. In the fall, that vaccine could then be used on those who received “a first or second vaccination with an mRNA vaccine in January and February of this year.”
(Orig. text: GA; Translation: ck)
