Cases have been increasing rapidly in Germany in the past few weeks. (file)
Berlin:
Germany on Thursday saw its biggest daily increase in Covid-19 cases since the pandemic began, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) health agency showed.
The country recorded 33,949 new cases in the last 24 hours, RKI said, breaking the previous daily record of 33,777 as on December 18, 2020.
Cases have been rising rapidly over the past few weeks, with Health Minister Jens Spahn warning on Wednesday that the fourth wave was moving “with extraordinary force”.
According to official figures, ministers have attributed the increase to Germany’s relatively low vaccination rate, with only 66.9 percent of the population being fully vaccinated.
Health professionals say unvaccinated people account for the majority of patients in intensive care, with the number rising rapidly.
“We are currently experiencing a mainly unvaccinated epidemic and this is rampant,” Spahn warned Wednesday, adding that some areas in Germany are reopening intensive care beds.
Germany is in political limbo after the September general election, with the winning Social Democrats hoping for a new coalition government in early December.
Incoming coalition parties have so far denied mandatory jabs and said there would be no new lockdown – at least not for vaccinations.
However, under Germany’s federal system, regional states have significant powers to decide their own COVID approach, which at times leads to a confusing patchwork of rules.
Angela Merkel’s chief of staff Helz Braun called an urgent meeting on Wednesday between the caretaker government and the leaders of Germany’s 16 states to agree on common rules.
Some states, including Baden-Württemberg, Saxony and Bavaria, have already agreed or imposed stricter restrictions on vaccinations without vaccination.
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