Germany seeks to know more than just COVID-19 case numbers

German officials say a broader focus is needed to fully understand the impact the pandemic is having on the health system

BERLIN -- With coronavirus cases edging up again, German officials said Monday that a broader focus is needed to fully understand the impact the pandemic is having on the country's health care system. For much of the past year the incidence rate — how many COVID-19 cases are confirmed per 100,000 people each week — has been key to the government's decisions over what restrictive measures to impose. The relevance of that figure is increasingly being called into question by those who argue that a sharp rise in new cases — already seen in other European countries such as Britain and the Netherlands — doesn't necessarily mean many more seriously ill patients. “Because the at-risk groups are vaccinated, a high incidence doesn't automatically mean an equally high burden on intensive care beds,” Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Twitter. “The incidence is increasingly losing significance, we now need more detailed information on the situation in clinics.”