The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reports 180,397 new infections within 24 hours. That's 56,955 fewer cases than a week ago Tuesday when 237,352 positive tests were reported. This brings the total number of confirmed infections in Germany to more than 21.84 million. The nationwide seven-day incidence continues to drop to 1394.0 from 1424.6 the previous day. 316 more people died in connection with the virus. This brings the total number of reported deaths to 130,368.

The end of mandatory isolation and quarantine for Corona-infected people and contacts, scheduled for May 1, has met with opposition from experts and patient protectors. The chairman of the German Foundation for Patient Protection, Eugen Brysch, sees great dangers for particularly vulnerable people as a result. "For the high-risk group, it is becoming increasingly dangerous. These people live among us," Brysch told Editorial Network Germany. "Equal to the Corona deniers, the infection is played down," criticized the patient protector.

Epidemiologist Hajo Zeeb called for maintaining the obligation to isolate infected persons. "If a person has symptoms, then they should sit out the Corona infection at home instead of infecting more people," Zeeb told RND. Especially with the Omicron variant, there is a risk of very rapid transmission of the virus, he said. An isolation obligation of five days should therefore be absolutely kept. Zeeb, on the other hand, no longer considers a quarantine for contact persons necessary.

The health ministers of the federal and state governments had agreed on Monday that Corona-infected persons and contact persons as a rule only have to be isolated or quarantined voluntarily and for a shorter period of time as of May 1. Accordingly, infected persons will in future only be "strongly recommended" to isolate themselves for five days and to avoid contact - for contact persons of infected persons it will apply accordingly. An order from the health authorities will no longer be required. However, stricter requirements will remain for employees in the healthcare and nursing sectors who have become infected.

Image by Frauke Riether