The reproduction number of the coronavirus has jumped in Germany, the country’s centre for disease control, the Robert Koch Institute, announced on Sunday.
This figure, which is also called the R-number, now stands at 2.88 in Germany.
An R-number of 1 means that each person with coronavirus infects an average of one other person.
Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel has repeatedly warned that the country must keep the R-number below 1 to contain the disease, and that a surge in the rate could see the return of tightened restrictions.
This massive leap in the national R-number came as a result of a local outbreak at a meat processing plant in the town of Gutersloh, the Robert Koch Institute explained. There are now at least 1,331 positive cases at the plant, town authorities reported on Sunday.
“Since case numbers in Germany are generally low, these local outbreaks have a relatively strong influence on the value of the reproduction number,” the Robert Koch Institute added in its daily report.
