Coronavirus statistics:
- There have been 8392 confirmed cases in Berlin to date.
- So far, 7612 people have been declared recovered from Covid-19.
- Of those infected so far, 4116 are male, 4272 are female. Four did not specify their gender.
- 111 people are currently in hospital as a result of the virus, 22 are in intensive care.
- The total number of casualties lies at 214, 15 of them were under 60 years of age. The average age of the deceased was 81.
- Today’s R number* lies at 0.64, the number of weekly new infections per 100,000 Berliners is at 8.32, with 1.7 percent of ICU beds taken up by Covid-19 patients.
*The R number is the average number of people an individual with the virus infects. While a useful indicator of how fast Covid-19 is spreading, the number can be skewed by small local clusters of infections.
U-Bahn station Mohrenstraße renamed, app reports 300 Covid-19 infections, dispute over Corona clinic’s future
After prolonged debate the Mohrenstraße U-Bahn station is to be renamed, the BVG has announced. Glinkastraße will be the new name of the station, which since German reunification has carried the word “Mohr” – a term analogous with the N-word in English. Debate over the “M-Straße” has become heightened in recent weeks after Black Lives Matter and the killing of George Floyd brought issues of racism to global attention. "Out of understanding and respect for the controversial debate around its use, we have decided to stop using the name for the station," the BVG said today in a statement.
Around 300 Covid-19 infections have been reported via Germany’s Corona Warn App, Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) has said. This means only a tiny proportion of users have received a warning via the app, which has been downloaded onto more than 14 million smartphones so far. Spahn said this figure was more than all downloads of similar apps across the EU combined, but nonetheless warned that it is no magic bullet. "The app is one tool among many to contain new outbreaks. It is not a panacea," he told the Spiegel. In a welcome update, the app is now available in app stores from all EU member states plus the UK and Norway.
The future of Berlin’s temporary Corona hospital has been thrown into disarray after conflicting plans for the clinic were announced by different Senators. Senator for Economic Affairs Ramona Pop (Greens) had announced that the hospital, which is located in the city’s Messe exhibition hall, would close by the end of 2020 to allow the space to be used for trade fairs and congresses again. But in separate statements both Health Senator Dilek Kalayci (SPD) and hospital manager Albrecht Broemme maintained that existing plans to expand the clinic’s capacity from 500 to around 800 beds will be carried out, according to reports by RBB. Berlin’s Covid-19 case rate is likely to decide which of the plans will prevail in the end.
Sex workers demand green light, rent cap hits social housing investment, Friedrichstraße set to go car-free
Dozens of sex workers gathered in front of the Bundesrat today to demand the reopening of brothels. Since March licenced brothels in Berlin have been forced to remain closed to prevent the spread of Covid-19, but industry figures argue that the move has simply forced sex work underground. Given other intimate places like massage parlours, tattoo shops and saunas are being given the green light to open, the industry argues that sex work should also be given the same relief. Protestors were also calling for financial support to get them through the crisis.
Berlin’s housing associations have cut investment in apartment construction and renovation in response to the Mietendeckel rent cap. That’s according to new figures from the BBU association of housing cooperatives. Construction projects in 2019 fell by 32 percent against the previous year, while the €167 million that firms had earmarked for modernisation in 2019 was cut to €150 million. Despite the Mietendeckel only being introduced this year, the BBU’s head Maren Kern said landlords had already cancelled investments in 2019 for fear of not being able to recoup the money through rents. "Around 54 percent of companies reported reducing investment in modernisation because of the Mietendeckel’s effect on returns,” said Kern. The Berlin Tenants' Association (BMV) disputed the findings, arguing that the law has since made it clear that landlords are permitted to increase rents after modernisation, meaning they have nothing to fear. Speaking to the Morgenpost, BMV head Reiner Wild said the rent cap offered “breathing space for tenants that is both necessary and workable.”
Friedrichstraße is to be pedestrianised “within weeks”, Transport Senator Regine Günther (Greens) has said. The long-promised ban on cars on the Mitte boulevard is to take effect by the middle of August, though the pedestrianised section will only cover the area between Leipziger Straße and Französische Straße. A "safety lane" for cyclists will run through the middle of the road, and will also be made available to emergency vehicles.
Coronavirus: cases in Berlin (age group)
Prosecutor: Berlin’s clans here to stay, England lifts quarantine rule for passengers from Germany
Despite efforts to clamp down on organised crime in the city Berlin’s criminal clans can never be eradicated, according to a former senior public prosecutor. Sjors Kamstra said that whilst the city’s criminal gangs could never be beaten, the state is by no means defenceless. "There comes a time when enough is enough. We are able to defend ourselves," Kamstra said, calling for new powers for the police to confiscate assets and monitor suspects. The long-serving prosecutor also criticised the recently introduced anti-discrimination law, saying it places police under undue suspicion.
Good news for those heading to England: the 14-day quarantine rule has been ditched for passengers coming from Germany. In a U-turn by the UK government, those arriving into English airports, ports and railway stations from Germany will no longer have to spend two weeks in isolation, opening the door to Berlin residents wanting to visit friends and relatives there. Those heading to Scotland and Wales will still be subject to the 14-day rule, however.