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A spokesperson has confirmed the German government is looking at Robert Koch Insititue's (RKI) assessment that Germany is in the fourth coronavirus wave with 'great concern,' and promised the "entire government is working together with the state governments on how to proceed."

"A paper like this, which we are now discussing and which not everyone has in front of them, can contain a factual part and still discuss scenarios and not be a prediction," deputy spokesperson for federal government Ulrike Demmer added, following a back-and-forth with a reporter.

"Although the current absolute figures are relatively low, is definitely worrying because it is developing very strongly and rapidly upwards," Demmer warned.

German tabloid Bild reported that it had obtained a leaked copy of a RKI report, in which President of the Robert Koch Institute, Lothar Wieler, had said the fourth wave has already begun.

SOUNDBITES:

SOT, Reporter (German): "We are talking about facts and the facts according to the RKI are that the fourth wave has started. Either you deny this, that the fourth wave has started, or you contradict the RKI. What is it now?"
Ulrike Demmer, Deputy spokesperson for federal government (German): "Neither. I believe that the contradiction you are making here does not apply, because of course the RKI's assessments are based on facts, they don't make it up, but of course they look at the current situation. Nevertheless, we are talking about scenarios and not predictions."

SOT, Ulrike Demmer, Deputy spokesperson for federal government (German): "I would like to actively contradict that. A paper like this, which we are now discussing and which not everyone has in front of them, can contain a factual part and still discuss scenarios and not be a prediction, because even the RKI cannot look into a crystal ball. In this respect, I would like to clarify this. I have not dismissed anything out of hand, nor have I denied anything; rather, I would like to clearly point out once again that the situation, although the current absolute figures are relatively low, is definitely worrying because it is developing very strongly and rapidly upwards."

SOT, Ulrike Demmer, Deputy spokesperson for federal government (German): "This is your interpretation. The RKI is the institution that analyses, interprets and develops scenarios for the federal government and we take this institution very seriously."
Journalist (German): "You take this institution so seriously that you do not want to evaluate its facts publicly?"
Ulrike Demmer, Deputy spokesperson for federal government (German): "Yes, I did so and now I have made an assessment."
Journalist (German): "What is the assessment of the fact that the fourth wave has begun?"
Ulrike Demmer, Deputy spokesperson for federal government (German): "My assessment is that we are looking at the development with great concern and that is why the entire government is working together with the state governments on how to proceed."

SOT, Annika Einhorn, Press officer for digital, innovation, and industrial policy (German): "It is not a case for German export control because it is not an export from Germany. In this case, we are therefore not affected."

#Bundespressekonferenz #Germany #COVID19 #coronavirus

Video ID: 20210728-030

Video on Demand: https://ruptly.tv/videos/20210728-030
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