Giffey appeals to citizens' personal responsibility in pandemic

Franziska Giffey, Governing Mayor of Berlin.

In light of the high Coronavirus numbers, Berlin's Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey (SPD) has appealed to citizens' personal responsibility.

New ways necessary because of Omicron wave

"Each and every individual must take responsibility for themselves," the SPD politician said on Thursday (Jan. 27, 2022) in a government statement in the House of Representatives. "And it's very simple," she continued. "Those who are sick stay at home. Those who tested positive inform the people with whom they were in contact. And those who really want to help, get vaccinated. It's that simple." Giffey pointed out that because of the large number of infections in the Omicron wave, there was a need to break new ground in testing and contact tracing. There needs to be prioritization in PCR testing as well as contact tracing, she said, meaning a focus on particularly vulnerable groups.

Encouraging adult vaccination rate

Vaccination remains an important issue and the Senate will continue to offer education and outreach programs. Giffey said it was encouraging that more than 52 percent of the population had now been vaccinated. She also referred to what she sees as a thoroughly encouraging rate of initial vaccinations for adults: according to the Robert Koch Institute, the rate is just under 80 percent in the 18 to 59 age group and 91.2 percent in the 60 plus age group. The initial vaccination rate for 5- to 17-year-olds is just under 40 percent.