UPDATE - Germany sets stricter COVID-19 measures as cases soar

UPDATES WITH LATEST DATA ON HOSPITALIZATIONS, ADDS MORE DETAILS; CHANGES THROUGHOUT

BERLIN (AA) - German authorities on Monday started to implement stricter measures against COVID-19 amid an alarming rise in new infections.

The country’s seven-day case rate soared to 201.1 per 100,000 people, marking the highest figure since the start of the pandemic early last year.

In the eastern federal state of Saxony, tougher rules were put in place beginning on Monday, with new restrictions for unvaccinated people.

Only those who are vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 are now allowed to access restaurants, bars, or cultural events. Wearing FFP2 masks became compulsory in taxis and on trains, buses, and trams.

Saxony and neighboring Thuringia are currently the two states with the highest incidence of cases, more than double the national average. They are also the states with the lowest rates of vaccination.

Authorities in Thuringia also announced stricter measures on Monday, requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination, recovery, or a negative test for restaurants and indoor activities.

Students were required to get tested for coronavirus and wear a mask in class.

- COVID cases at record levels

New coronavirus infections reached a record high last week, with more than 30,000 new cases deported daily.

The number of active cases climbed to 306,000 on Monday, marking a new high in the current fourth wave of the pandemic, according to the Robert Koch Institute.

The institute confirmed 33 coronavirus-related deaths and nearly 300 new cases of hospitalizations on Sunday.

The surge in new infections and hospitalizations has started to overwhelm many hospitals across the country.

As of Monday, 2,616 seriously ill coronavirus patients were receiving treatment in intensive care units, with 1,307 of them on mechanical ventilators.

German hospitals currently maintain nearly 22,000 intensive care beds, but almost 87% of them are occupied, an emergency medical association said in a report.

Staff shortages remain a serious problem for hospitals, as many exhausted healthcare workers quit their jobs during the pandemic.