Coronavirus patients are arriving in greater numbers at hospitals in Munich in the wake of the end of the Oktoberfest beer festival.
Experts had warned that case numbers would spike as the event, which saw millions of extra visitors to the city, was conducted with few restrictions.
On Tuesday, the city reported a total of 478 hospital beds occupied by coronavirus patients in normal, intensive care and transitional wards.
This was an increase of 61% compared to Tuesday last week. Compared to the last day before the start of Oktoberfest, the increase was 137%.
While numbers have been rising in normal wards for the past week, the trend has now reached the intensive care units, with 39 now occupied, compared to 24 a week ago.
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said he expected the numbers to rise further with “more severe cases and then also a burden on the intensive care units.”
“It is a pity that it has come to this now,” Lauterbach told broadcaster RTL/ntv.
Courtesy © dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH www.dpa.com