Berlin, Oct. 7, (dpa/GNA) – Germany set a new record for coronavirus cases in a day – compared to the second half of April, when case counts were peaking – with the number of patients in intensive care and on ventilators also up compared to a week earlier.
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the national disease control agency, said on Wednesday that 2,828 more cases had been confirmed in the last one-day period.
At the height of the pandemic in late March and early April, Germany was counting more than 6,000 new cases per day before they fell off markedly. However, the numbers began trending upwards again in July.
The country has marked record high daily numbers for the period after the April peak several times in the last few weeks.
The latest figures released Wednesday showed a further 16 people died after catching the virus, bringing the death toll to 9,562.
The number of Covid-19 patients undergoing intensive care treatment has increased to 449, according to the RKI. A week ago the figure was 352 and two weeks ago it was 278.
The country has gradually lifted lockdown rules since May, as authorities opt for a contact-tracing strategy and localized restrictions in response to regional outbreaks. Meanwhile, masks have become ubiquitous on public transport and in shops.
Germans are also being encouraged to keep windows open, in the hopes of flushing out pathogens, as the summer draws to an end and socializing begins to move indoors.
As coronavirus case numbers increase in Berlin, the city government said on Tuesday it would introduce new health regulations including a night curfew and contact restrictions.
The measures, which apply from Saturday, mainly address private celebrations and illegal gatherings, which are seen as driving the spread of the virus.
GNA