Berlin, Oct. 14, (dpa/GNA) – Germany’s daily coronavirus caseload has surpassed 5,000 for the first time since the height of the pandemic in April, the Robert Koch Institute for disease control said on Wednesday.
Although Germany has been lauded for its handling of the crisis, the number of new infections has been steadily rising in recent weeks amid calls for a more unified and easy-to-understand approach to stemming contagion.
The number of new infections reached 5,132 on Wednesday, roughly 1,000 cases more than the previous day, and the highest single-day toll since April, the RKI said.
“At the moment there is an accelerated increase in transmissions in the population in Germany. It is therefore urgently advised that the entire population is committed to infection protection,” the RKI wrote on its website.
The number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care remains low, with 620 people currently occupying ICU beds – up from 450 one week prior. Some 9,000 ICU beds remain unoccupied in Germany.
Chancellor Angela Merkel is set to hold talks with state premiers on Wednesday about strategies to stem the country’s infection rate.
Critics say the patchwork of rules that has emerged from Germany’s decentralized system is confusing to the public.
One particularly controversial rule is that people living in high-risk areas cannot travel to other parts of Germany without showing a negative coronavirus test that is less than 48 hours old.
The rule has led to confusion and exasperation among members of the public as the country reaches the limits of its testing capacity.
GNA