Germany reports daily record of 262,752 new COVID-19 infections

BERLIN (AA) - Germany on Thursday reported a record number of daily coronavirus cases, with more than 260,000 new infections.

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the country’s disease control agency, confirmed 262,752 new COVID-19 cases and 259 related fatalities in the past 24 hours.

The relaxation of anti-coronavirus measures last month and the spread of the more contagious omicron variant are seen as the main factors driving the spike in cases.

Despite the surge in infections, the majority of the new cases have been mild, not requiring hospitalization.

On Wednesday, 1,786 patients were admitted to hospitals, while 2,117 patients were receiving treatment in intensive care units (ICUs). More than 3,000 ICU beds were free.

According to experts, Germany’s high vaccination coverage among the elderly has been effective in preventing severe illnesses and deaths from the virus.

Nearly 89% of people aged 60 and above are fully vaccinated, and nearly 80% of them have also received a booster dose, according to the latest figures released on Thursday.

Germany is among the countries hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic in Western Europe, with one of the highest caseloads in the region, behind France and the UK.

The country of 83 million has reported more than 16.5 million infections and 125,023 deaths since the start of the pandemic two years ago.