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Once again, Germany has reached grim new heights in the coronavirus pandemic, as the country eases into a weeks-long lockdown designed to bring down persistently high infection numbers.
The nation’s Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for disease control on Friday recorded 33,777 new cases confirmed over the past 24 hours.
This was officially the first time that Germany has had a daily surge in excess of 30,000.
However, Friday’s figures included 3,500 additional cases from the south-western state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, which were not counted the previous day for technical reasons.
Minus the late reports, 30,277 new infections were reported – and in fact, the 30,000 mark should have already been surpassed for the first time on Thursday.
The number of deaths reported on Friday was 813, the second-highest toll since the pandemic began.
The RKI has so far counted over 1.4 million cases of coronavirus infection in Germany, including almost 25,000 deaths.


Germany enacted sweeping closures and restrictions across the country from Wednesday, tightening a partial lockdown initiated in early November that failed to reverse the country’s rising trend in infections.
The tougher lockdown is to stay in place until January 10 at the earliest, following an agreement between Chancellor Angela Merkel and the premiers of the nation’s 16 states.
All but essential shops have been forced to close and schoolchildren have largely returned to remote learning.
An existing limit on group gatherings remains, with a maximum of five people from two households allowed to meet.
Record 952 dead in 24 hours as Germany enters lockdown
That rule is to be relaxed from December 24-26 to allow close families to celebrate Christmas together.
However, Health Minister Jens Spahn appealed to the public on Friday to reduce their contact with others as much as possible, including over the holidays, “as hard as that may be.”
Spahn was presenting the government’s vaccination plans in Berlin, amid hopes that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) will give the regulatory go-ahead on Monday for EU countries to use the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine.
Germany’s first vaccinations are to take place in care homes.
“Protecting the weakest, that is the first goal of our vaccination campaign,” Spahn said, adding that doing so would take one or two months.
“The winter will be long,” he added, appealing to the public for patience.
Vaccinations are expected to begin on December 27.

According to a media report, the EU could have bought more vaccine doses to distribute among member states than agreed.
The commission has ordered 300 million doses from Pfizer and BioNTech rather than the companies’ offer of up to 500 million, while Moderna, another vaccine developer eyeing regulator approval, could have also delivered more than the up to 160 million doses ordered, Germany’s Spiegel news magazine reported.
“Germany could also buy additional vaccines in bilateral and direct talks with the companies and I think this is what we should do,” German lawmaker and public health expert Karl Lauterbach was quoted as saying.
On Friday, a spokeswoman for German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said talks would begin in January to plan a memorial event for the thousands of lives lost in the country so far to Covid-19.


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Coronavirus pandemic

Germany’s daily coronavirus infections hit grim new heights

A health worker takes swab samples from a man at a Covid-19 testing centre in Berlin, Germany. Photo: AP

People wait in a long line for a SARS CoV-2 rapid test at the Corona Antigen Rapid test center at the 'KitKat-Club' in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020. Germany recorded around 27,000 newly confirmed cases Thursday and over 650 additional deaths according to the Robert Koch Institute, Germany's national disease control agency. (Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Germany coronavirus crisis taking ‘worrying’ turn for worse as deaths top 20,000

A man passes by the illuminated fountain in front of the Old Opera in Frankfurt, Germany. Photo: AP

Coronavirus: record 952 dead in 24 hours as Germany enters lockdown

The square in front of the Brandenburg Gate is deserted in Berlin, Germany, early Wednesday. Photo: AP

epa08885378 A protective face mask lies on the floor during shopping of the people in the city center at the 'Zeil' in Frankfurt, Germany, 15 December, 2020. Due to an increasing number of cases of the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS CoV-2 coronavirus, new nationwide restrictions have been announced to counteract a rise in infections, as the closing of the single store starting tomorrow 16 December. EPA-EFE/RONALD WITTEK

After the switching conference between her and the prime ministers of the federal states, Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) adjusts her mask and comments on the further procedure in the Corona crisis at a press conference in the Federal Chancellery, on Sunday, Dec.13, 2020. (Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa via AP)

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Coronavirus


Germany recorded 33,777 new cases as the country eased into a weeks-long lockdown to contain the outbreak
The number of deaths reported on Friday was 813, the second-highest toll since the pandemic began



Germany recorded 33,777 new cases as the country eased into a weeks-long lockdown to contain the outbreak.


Coronavirus pandemic: All stories

Germany

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