A hundred people with COVID-19 now infect 179 others on average in Germany

The reproduction rate of the novel coronavirus in Germany has jumped to 1.79 after a raft of localized outbreaks, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for public health said on Saturday, far above the level needed to contain it over the longer term.

A reproduction rate of 1.79 means that 100 people who contracted the virus infect 179 other people on average. A rate of less than one is needed to gradually contain the disease.

The number, a sharp increase from 1.06 on Friday, is a setback for the European Union's most populous country, which has fared better in the pandemic than many European peers due mainly to early testing and social distancing measures.

The institute attributed the rise to a number of local outbreaks, which have been seen in locations such as meatpacking plants, logistics centers, and shelters for refugees. Outbreaks have also been linked to church services and family parties.

Earlier this week, a meat processing plant in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany reported an outbreak of the novel coronavirus when 400 workers tested positive. By Friday, that number had doubled to 803 and the number now has risen to 1,029, according to officials.

The factory has been closed for 14 days following initial reports of the outbreak, prompting local health authorities to order all 6,500 employees and their families to go into quarantine. Schools and childcare centers in the western city of Guetersloh were also closed by local authorities.

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