BERLIN (Reuters) – German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said on Wednesday that the number of new coronavirus cases has been under-reported and the actual incidence rate of infections is about two or three times higher than the officially reported figure.
He said the under-reporting was due to fewer tests being performed at workplaces and at doctors practices, as well as only a few of those test results being submitted to authorities.
Lauterbach also expressed concern about a clear rise in cases of the Omicron variant and appealed to people to celebrate the New Year only in small groups.
The Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases on Wednesday reported a seven-day incidence rate of 205.5 cases per 100,000 residents, the lowest figure seen since early November.
(Reporting by Miranda Murray; Editing by Madeline Chambers)
