https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed As world health experts monitor a Covid-19 variant that has recently become a dominant strain in many places, many people are wondering who should get a booster shot ahead of the flu season. https://www.thelocal.de/20240821/who-should-get-a-top-up-covid-vaccination-in-germany Wed, 21 Aug 2024 15:33:31 +0200 who-should-get-a-top-up-covid-vaccination-in-germany Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel denied Thursday that she had covered up an intelligence report concluding that a Chinese laboratory leak was the likely source of the Covid-19 pandemic. https://www.thelocal.de/20250314/merkel-denies-covering-up-report-on-covid-19-origins Fri, 14 Mar 2025 09:58:09 +0100 merkel-denies-covering-up-report-on-covid-19-origins Cases of the common cold and Covid are high in Germany ahead of the winter flu season. Here's what you need to know if you're interested in getting a flu shot. https://www.thelocal.de/20241025/should-you-get-a-flu-shot-in-germany-before-the-winter-season Fri, 25 Oct 2024 14:37:00 +0200 should-you-get-a-flu-shot-in-germany-before-the-winter-season According to official data released by the Robert Koch Institute, instances of respiratory infections like coronavirus are unusually high for this time of year. https://www.thelocal.de/20240702/germany-sees-spike-in-summer-flu-and-covid-infections Tue, 02 Jul 2024 13:06:48 +0200 germany-sees-spike-in-summer-flu-and-covid-infections The international health emergency due to Covid-19 has been over for months. However, with cases soaring again in Germany, and new virus variants emerging, health experts are recommending some people get a booster jab. https://www.thelocal.de/20230918/explained-who-should-get-a-covid-jab-this-autumn-in-germany Mon, 18 Sep 2023 18:42:53 +0200 explained-who-should-get-a-covid-jab-this-autumn-in-germany It’s back again: amid sinking temperatures, the incidence of Covid-19 has been slowly rising in Germany. But is this enough to merit worrying about the virus? https://www.thelocal.de/20230920/could-there-be-a-new-wave-of-covid-19-in-germany-this-autumn Wed, 20 Sep 2023 14:05:02 +0200 could-there-be-a-new-wave-of-covid-19-in-germany-this-autumn German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has called for residents to get Covid-19 booster vaccinations ahead of autumn, and is hoping more people wear face masks as infection rates rise. https://www.thelocal.de/20230918/german-health-minister-recommends-new-covid-jab-as-infections-increase Mon, 18 Sep 2023 15:03:17 +0200 german-health-minister-recommends-new-covid-jab-as-infections-increase Though Germany's famous beer festival is likely to cause a spike in Covid-19 infections, these will be far serious than they were at the height of the pandemic, health experts have said. https://www.thelocal.de/20230911/no-reason-to-fear-rise-in-covid-infections-at-munichs-oktoberfest-say-experts Mon, 11 Sep 2023 13:48:52 +0200 no-reason-to-fear-rise-in-covid-infections-at-munichs-oktoberfest-say-experts With the number of Covid cases rising in recent weeks, and with the cold and flu season coming soon, the topic of wearing face masks is surfacing in Germany again. https://www.thelocal.de/20230901/germany-debates-covid-masks-in-the-health-sector-during-flu-season Fri, 01 Sep 2023 12:11:16 +0200 germany-debates-covid-masks-in-the-health-sector-during-flu-season The World Health Organization's European office warned on Tuesday the risk of Covid-19 has not gone away, saying it was still responsible for nearly 1,000 deaths a week in the region. And the real figure may be much higher. https://www.thelocal.de/20230627/covid-19-still-causing-1000-deaths-a-week-in-europe-who-warns Tue, 27 Jun 2023 15:27:54 +0200 covid-19-still-causing-1000-deaths-a-week-in-europe-who-warns German courts will from Monday begin examining a series of claims over adverse effects suffered after coronavirus vaccinations, more than two years after one of the world's fastest and most extensive innoculation campaigns. https://www.thelocal.de/20230612/german-courts-start-examining-claims-over-covid-jabs Mon, 12 Jun 2023 11:40:12 +0200 german-courts-start-examining-claims-over-covid-jabs Following three years of use, Germany’s Corona warning app has stopped giving infection alerts. Just how successful was the app, which cost the government hundreds of millions of euros? https://www.thelocal.de/20230502/germanys-corona-warning-app-stops-giving-alerts-after-three-years Tue, 02 May 2023 14:19:37 +0200 germanys-corona-warning-app-stops-giving-alerts-after-three-years Three years after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in Germany, the country repealed most of the protective measures on Wednesday. Here's which measures still remain. https://www.thelocal.de/20230301/germany-peels-away-most-of-remaining-covid-19-measures Wed, 01 Mar 2023 13:00:49 +0100 germany-peels-away-most-of-remaining-covid-19-measures Germany's federal and state health ministers are scrapping more coronavirus protection requirements earlier than planned. https://www.thelocal.de/20230214/most-germany-wide-covid-rules-to-expire-on-march-1st Tue, 14 Feb 2023 17:33:12 +0100 most-germany-wide-covid-rules-to-expire-on-march-1st With fewer and fewer Covid-19 cases hitting Germany’s intensive care units, many federal states have – or plan to – get rid of most identifiable Covid rules. Here’s what’s still on the books. https://www.thelocal.de/20230202/what-covid-rules-are-still-in-place-in-germany-from-february Thu, 02 Feb 2023 10:39:37 +0100 what-covid-rules-are-still-in-place-in-germany-from-february As much of Germany lifts - or prepares to lift - the last remaining Covid-19 measures, intensive care units say Covid-19 admissions are no longer straining the system. https://www.thelocal.de/20230124/is-the-pandemic-over-in-germany Tue, 24 Jan 2023 10:00:12 +0100 is-the-pandemic-over-in-germany Although greatly curtailed recently, free Covid-19 tests officially ended in Germany for almost everyone on Monday - with exceptions only for medical personnel. https://www.thelocal.de/20230116/free-covid-19-tests-end-in-germany Mon, 16 Jan 2023 14:36:27 +0100 free-covid-19-tests-end-in-germany Health Minister Karl Lauterbach says experts are monitoring whether a new Omicron sub-variant of Covid-19 causing concern in the USA is appearing in Germany. https://www.thelocal.de/20230105/germany-monitoring-new-covid-variant-closely-says-health-minister Thu, 05 Jan 2023 11:04:51 +0100 germany-monitoring-new-covid-variant-closely-says-health-minister Proof of Covid vaccination is no longer needed in Germany - so can people delete the health apps? https://www.thelocal.de/20230103/reader-question-do-i-still-need-covid-apps-in-germany Tue, 03 Jan 2023 17:20:33 +0100 reader-question-do-i-still-need-covid-apps-in-germany The German Constitutional Court rejected challenges Tuesday to Berlin's participation in the European Union's coronavirus recovery fund, but expressed some reservations about the massive package. https://www.thelocal.de/20221206/court-turns-down-afd-led-challenge-to-germanys-spending-in-pandemic Tue, 06 Dec 2022 18:23:01 +0100 court-turns-down-afd-led-challenge-to-germanys-spending-in-pandemic