Germany sees exponential rise, Second wave hits Poland

Germany has posted a massive spike in COVID cases, with more than 6 and a half thousand new infections in a 24-hour period. The country was at 2,828 new cases last Wednesday, October 8th. The numbers then kept rising to 6,638 newly registered COVID-19 infections. With numbers more than doubling in one week, it means the virus is growing exponentially. The figures come just hours after Chancellor Angela Merkel met with the leaders of Germany’s 16 federal states to agree new measures to slow the spread of the virus. Poland is also expected to announce new restrictions after registering a record of nearly 9,000 new cases today. The country managed to keep the number of infections low at the start of the pandemic. But as DW’s Alexandra von Nahmen reports, the government is now facing criticism for failing to prepare the country for a second wave.