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dpa
Berlin
The German government said on Sunday it is preparing for possible attacks on vaccination centres, vaccine transports and vaccine makers.
There is an “abstract threat” due to “the great media presence as well as the high dynamics and emotionality” of the topic, the German Interior Ministry said in a government response to a parliamentary question posed by the German Green party seen by dpa.
The ministry went on to warn of protests by anti-vaxxers, coronavirus sceptics and conspiracy theorists that could get out of hand, resulting in property damage, cyber attacks and even physical assaults on staff.
The warning came as tighter coronavirus border checks came into force in Germany, with distributors warning that fresh food imports might be held up.
Germany now requires persons entering from countries considered very high-risk to present a negative coronavirus PCR test no older than 72 hours at the border.
The concerned areas are countries with an incidence rate from 200 cases per 100,000 inhabitants within one week.
This means drivers importing fresh fruit and vegetables from Portugal and Spain have to provide a test result, which in practice was almost impossible, Andreas Bruegger, head of the German fruit trade association, told dpa.
“We need a supply corridor for fresh fruit and vegetables also in corona[virus] times, otherwise retail shelves will be empty,” Bruegger warned, adding that Spain supplies 30 per cent of fruit and vegetables to Germany.
Bruegger called for new rules that were consistent across Europe, for instance so-called green lanes recommended by the European Union with streamlined border controls for freight transport.
Federal police also conducted additional controls at Germany’s largest airport in Frankfurt, checking passenger arriving from very high-risk areas as they descended their planes. Those who could not provide a test result could get tested at the airport.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Jens Spahn announced that Germany would roll out an experimental COVID-19 treatment with antibodies to prevent patients from developing severe symptoms.
Spahn told the newspaper Bild am Sonntag that Germany had ordered 200,000 doses of the medication. They will reportedly be distributed to hospitals in the coming weeks.
The treatment, the same former US president Donald Trump received, has net yet been approved by medical authorities in the European Union, but received emergency approval in the United States.
“According to available studies, the medication can potentially help reduce the amount of virus in the body and have a positive impact on the course of the disease,” a Health Ministry spokesperson said.
Berlin
The German government said on Sunday it is preparing for possible attacks on vaccination centres, vaccine transports and vaccine makers.
There is an “abstract threat” due to “the great media presence as well as the high dynamics and emotionality” of the topic, the German Interior Ministry said in a government response to a parliamentary question posed by the German Green party seen by dpa.
The ministry went on to warn of protests by anti-vaxxers, coronavirus sceptics and conspiracy theorists that could get out of hand, resulting in property damage, cyber attacks and even physical assaults on staff.
The warning came as tighter coronavirus border checks came into force in Germany, with distributors warning that fresh food imports might be held up.
Germany now requires persons entering from countries considered very high-risk to present a negative coronavirus PCR test no older than 72 hours at the border.
The concerned areas are countries with an incidence rate from 200 cases per 100,000 inhabitants within one week.
This means drivers importing fresh fruit and vegetables from Portugal and Spain have to provide a test result, which in practice was almost impossible, Andreas Bruegger, head of the German fruit trade association, told dpa.
“We need a supply corridor for fresh fruit and vegetables also in corona[virus] times, otherwise retail shelves will be empty,” Bruegger warned, adding that Spain supplies 30 per cent of fruit and vegetables to Germany.
Bruegger called for new rules that were consistent across Europe, for instance so-called green lanes recommended by the European Union with streamlined border controls for freight transport.
Federal police also conducted additional controls at Germany’s largest airport in Frankfurt, checking passenger arriving from very high-risk areas as they descended their planes. Those who could not provide a test result could get tested at the airport.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Jens Spahn announced that Germany would roll out an experimental COVID-19 treatment with antibodies to prevent patients from developing severe symptoms.
Spahn told the newspaper Bild am Sonntag that Germany had ordered 200,000 doses of the medication. They will reportedly be distributed to hospitals in the coming weeks.
The treatment, the same former US president Donald Trump received, has net yet been approved by medical authorities in the European Union, but received emergency approval in the United States.
“According to available studies, the medication can potentially help reduce the amount of virus in the body and have a positive impact on the course of the disease,” a Health Ministry spokesperson said.
