Germany’s Covid-19 deaths pass 100,000 as infections climb
- The country’s death toll is still lower than in the UK, France or Italy, which each passed 100,000 some time ago
- With Germany’s cases rising further, experts warn that another lockdown like in neighbouring Austria could become unavoidable
Germany on Thursday announced record coronavirus fatalities and infections as its total death toll passed 100,000, with its most severe virus wave yet swelling just as a new government prepares to replace Angela Merkel’s coalition.
Germany weathered earlier bouts of the pandemic better than many other European countries, but has seen a recent resurgence, with intensive care beds rapidly filling up.
Europe’s largest economy recorded 351 coronavirus fatalities in the past 24 hours, bringing the official death toll since the start of the pandemic to 100,119, in what Bild daily called a “grim milestone”.
The weekly incidence rate also hit an all-time high of 419.7 new infections per 100,000 people, according to figures from the Robert Koch Institute health agency.
The escalating health crisis poses an immediate challenge to the new centre-left-led coalition government set to take over from Merkel’s cabinet next month.
The country has been stuck in political limbo since the September 26 general election, with the popular former scientist Merkel governing only in a caretaker capacity.
Merkel’s presumed successor Olaf Scholz began a presentation of his new government’s policy road map Wednesday by announcing new measures to tame the fourth wave.