{“rewritten_html”:”German Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach urged the federal states to bring back indoor mask use this Friday because covid cases have risen in recent weeks.n“We’re not heading in a good direction,” he stated during a Berlin campaign launch aimed at encouraging vaccination and other measures to curb transmission.nHe argued that it would be wiser for the Länder, which already possess authority in this area, to implement less restrictive steps now rather than wait and face tougher rules later.nUnder the current Infection Protection Act, regional authorities may require masking or mandate a negative test to enter certain venues if the epidemiological situation warrants it.n“There is no reason to believe that the next wave will spare us,” the minister warned. The death toll continues to rise, alongside the occupancy levels of intensive care units.nLauterbach also noted that official statistics likely underestimate the true spread of the virus, with many people never confirming home-based positive results with a PCR test.n760.1 cases per 100,000 peoplen“Right now, we probably don’t have 100,000 new cases,” he said, “but when all factors are counted, it could reach as high as 400,000.”nData from the Robert Koch Institute for Virology shows that the seven-day incidence stands at 760.1 new infections per 100,000 people this Friday. In the last 24 hours, 114,198 new infections were recorded and 165 deaths were reported.nThe vaccination campaign introduced by Lauterbach under the slogan “I protect myself” will be rolled out across media channels and social networks. Its aim is to boost vaccination rates, particularly among individuals over 60 years of age.nAmong those featured in the effort are 84 people representing the 84 million residents in Germany who will share their experiences with Covid, their reasons for getting vaccinated, and the precautions they continue to take.nThe German Hospitals Association issued a warning this week about the strain on hospital centers due to a high number of Covid patients and the resulting staff shortages caused by the same illness.”}