BERLIN (AA) – Germany reported 1,188 more deaths from COVID-19 on Friday, a new daily record in fatalities since the start of the pandemic.
A total of 31,849 new infections were also registered over the past 24 hours, up from 26,391 on Thursday, according to the country's disease control agency.
Despite stricter lockdown measures in place since November, new infections and hospitalizations continue to increase across Germany, overwhelming the healthcare system.
There are an estimated 334,200 active COVID-19 cases in the country as of Friday, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).
Currently, 5,491 seriously ill coronavirus patients are receiving treatment in intensive care units, with 3,099 of them on mechanical ventilators.
The RKI has reported that new infections among older people have grown steadily in recent months, leading to a rise in the number of serious cases and deaths.
Of all coronavirus-related deaths in Germany, 88% were among people aged 70 or above, with a median age of 84 years, according to the institute.