Berlin, Dec. 16, (dpa/GNA) – Germany has registered 952 coronavirus deaths in 24 hours, a new record, the Robert Koch institute (RKI) of infectious diseases in Berlin said early Wednesday.
Within one day, the German health authorities reported 952 new deaths to the Berlin-based institute, according to RKI figures from Wednesday morning.
In addition, 27,728 new infections were recorded. However, the data from Tuesday did not contain any figures from Saxony, officials noted.
Previous records were reached last Friday with 598 deaths and 29,875 cases of infection.
The total number of people who died of Covid or in connection with a coronavirus infection rose to 23,427 as of Wednesday.
The increasing cases and deaths come as Germany further tightens measures which have so far failed to bring the pandemic’s second wave under control.
Germany is to close all but essential shops in the coming days under a weeks-long lockdown covering the Christmas holiday period.
The measures which came into starting Wednesday are to last until January 10.
A partial lockdown in Germany that closed bars, restaurants and leisure facilities from early November while keeping shops and schools open has proven to be “not enough,” Chancellor Angela Merkel said Sunday following talks with the country’s 16 state premiers.
Germany and other EU countries are set to get the go-ahead to begin coronavirus vaccinations on Monday next week after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Tuesday that it aims to pull forward its decision on the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine to December 21, eight days sooner than the original self-imposed deadline.
GNA