Germany issued travel warnings for Switzerland, Ireland, Poland and most of Austria on Thursday.
The warnings take effect from Oct. 24
Germany warns against unnecessary travel to eight of Austria’s nine provinces with only the Carinthia province excluded, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases said.
Austria last reported 121.4 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants over seven consecutive days, way above the mark of 50 that is seen as critical.
The RKI head, Lothar Wieler, also added that Germany must prepare for the possibility of an uncontrolled spread of the coronavirus pandemic but is still able to slow it.
Wieler warned that Europe’s biggest economy could see 10,000 new coronavirus cases per day unless people stick to hygiene and distancing rules.
“The current situation worries me a lot … I ask you to stick to the rules,” said Wieler, adding only 8% of cases in Germany were imported from oversees.
The coronavirus reproduction rate in Germany is currently estimated at 2.76, probably mainly due to local outbreaks Wieler, said.
A reproduction rate, or ‘R’, of 2.76 means that 100 people who contracted the virus infect, on average, 276 others.
