BERLIN - Germany’s reproduction rate of Covid-19 has spiked from 1.06 to 2.88 in the span of two days following a string of localised outbreaks, prompting concerns over a second wave of the virus.

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) said on Saturday the R number jumped to 1.79 on Saturday and 2.88 on Sunday, far higher than what is needed to contain the outbreak over a longer period of time.

An R number of 2.88 means that every 100 people who contract the virus would infect, on average, 288 more people. To contain the virus, a number lower than 1 is needed.

The institute attributed the rise to a number of local outbreaks that have been traced back to places with large numbers of people, such as meatpacking plants and logistics centres, as well as refugee shelters. Outbreaks have also been linked to church services and family parties.

“Since case numbers in Germany are generally low, these outbreaks have a relatively strong influence on the value of the reproduction number,” said the institute.

“Further developments need to be monitored closely during the upcoming days, especially in regard to whether case numbers are increasing outside of outbreak contexts.”

When smoothed for short-term effects, RKI estimated the 7-day moving average of Germany’s reproduction rate reached 2.03, up from 1.17 on Friday.

A further 687 cases were confirmed in Sunday’s daily update, bringing the total across the whole country to 189,822. No further deaths were reported and the toll currently stands at 8,822.(FA)