Germany sets daily record with 37,120 new COVID-19 infections

BERLIN (AA) - Germany reported more than 37,000 new coronavirus cases on Friday, marking the highest single-day count since the pandemic began early last year.

The Robert Koch Institute confirmed 37,120 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, up from 33,949 cases on Thursday. It also reported 154 coronavirus-related deaths.

The country’s weekly incidence rate has climbed to 169.9 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, from 139.2 a week ago, according to the official data.

The institute said infections are likely to rise in the coming weeks, as people spend more time indoors during the cold winter months, and while a large number of people remain unvaccinated.

It called on people who are still undecided to take advantage of vaccinations, stressing that doing so provides the best protection against severe COVID-19 illness.

It also urged the public to continue to practice hygiene and social distancing measures, and wear a mask in public to help stem the spread of the virus.

So far, 66.9% of the population has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, as vaccine hesitancy and skepticism remain a huge challenge for healthcare authorities.