German health minister urges vacationers to stay vigilant for second coronavirus wave

BERLIN - German Health Minister Jens Spahn on Monday urged German vacationers to follow COVID-19 social distancing rules, saying that Germany could prevent a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in the autumn given continued public vigilance.

He made the remarks at a press conference where he criticized German people who failed to wear masks or keep the recommended safe social distance while on summer vacation abroad.

The health minister said he was "very worried" by a video showing German tourists partying on the Spanish island of Mallorca at the weekend.

The video showed German tourists drinking, sometimes from the same bottle, hugging, singing and dancing outside bars and terraces on Friday evening, disregarding social distancing rules.

Spahn said it was important to remain vigilant, and that he understood the "impatience" of people, "but where there are parties the infection risk is particularly high."

"That's why we have to try particularly now in the holiday season to prevent infections. We don't automatically have to expect a second wave in the autumn and winter. Together, as a society, we can prevent that, as we did once before: breaking the wave and keeping the pandemic in check," he noted.