Germany Infection Rate Up With Surge in Meat, Refugee Facilities

(Bloomberg) --

Germany’s coronavirus infection rate rose for a second day after local outbreaks in the meat industry and at refugee centers.

• The reproduction factor of the virus, known as R-naught, rose to 1.79 on Saturday compared with 1.06 the day before, according to the latest daily report by the country’s health body, the Robert Koch Institute.
• Because Germany has a relatively low number of cases, the outbreaks have a relatively strong effect on the figure, RKI said.
• There were 371 new infections in the 24 hours through Sunday morning, bringing the total to 190,670 according to data from Johns Hopkins University. That compares with 439 on average over the past seven days and almost 7,000 at the peak of the pandemic in late March.
• Fatalities increased by 8 to 8,895.
• RKI cited localized outbreaks in institutions for asylum seekers and refugees, in meat-processing plants and logistics companies, among seasonal harvest workers and in connection with religious events and family gatherings.

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