ifo Institute: Targeted Local Measures Required to Contain the Coronavirus Pandemic Effectively

Effective containment of the pandemic calls for targeted local measures rather than a national approach. Since lockdown measures were introduced, new infections have increasingly become concentrated in regional hotspots. “To avoid jeopardizing the economic and social recovery that is now starting to get underway, new lockdown measures should be taken only in those places where they are actually necessary,” explains ifo researcher Selina Schulze Spüntrup.

When looking at the total number of coronavirus infections per 100,000 inhabitants, there is a striking north-south and east-west divide among Germany’s 401 districts and independent cities. The data shows that hotspots are appearing primarily in districts that have seen less of an impact so far. “It’s especially important to raise awareness of this among people working for the health authorities in districts that have so far been spared, so that they are not caught off guard by a sudden sharp rise in new infections,” Schulze Spüntrup says.

The ifo study is based on daily figures from the Robert Koch Institute on the total number of coronavirus infections and deaths in Germany at the level of the 401 districts and independent cities. For the first time, the ifo researchers also collected and evaluated data at the individual municipality level. The cut-off date for the data used in the study was May 28, 2020.