Germany has reported record Covid-19 infection rates as the country’s leading health experts warned the latest outbreak will get worse.
The country had 78,022 new cases on Saturday and 235 new deaths, the Robert Koch Institute said.
It also reported 497.1 new cases per 100,000 people in the previous week, beating the previous high of 485.1 in late November.
The figure was 470.6 on Friday and 335.9 a week earlier.
“I expect this number to continue to rise with incidence rates probably over 1,000,” epidemiologist Tobias Kurth said.
“As many people are still not vaccinated, there is still a high chance that some of them will, unfortunately, end up in the hospital. For the health care system, this is still a very alarming situation.”
Germany is reeling from the latest wave, with the Omicron variant and unvaccinated patients both playing major roles in the outbreak.
The last week has also seen the worst day for new cases in a 24-hour period, with more than 92,000 on Thursday.
France, the Netherlands and the UK have all had major outbreaks of the Omicron variant.
-
Jannik, 9, gets vaccinated in an airplane at Cologne Bonn Airport in Germany. The city is hosting a special vaccination event for children aged 5 to 11 in a decommissioned Airbus A300 Zero G. EPA -
People place candles in Neumarkt Square, Dresden to commemorate the 1,400 lives lost to the coronavirus in the German city. AFP -
Pupils take a sample for a rapid test during the first lesson after Christmas holidays at the Freiherr-vom-Stein secondary school in Bonn, western Germany. AFP -
Protesters demonstrate against Covid-19 measures and compulsory vaccination in Frankfurt, Germany. AP -
A cyclist rides past a tent where patients are undergoing coronavirus tests, at the Opera square in Paris. AFP -
A protestor in Nantes, France throws a tear gas canister during a demonstration against a bill that would transform the country's current coronavirus health pass into a 'vaccine pass'. Reuters -
A group of young students wearing masks disinfect their hands before entering the Luis Amigo school after the Christmas holidays, in Pamplona, northern Spain. AP -
A man receives a dose of a Covid-19 vaccine at a Red Cross centre in Rome. Reuters -
Traffic police check the green pass of public transport passengers in Turin, Italy. EPA -
Empty seats inside the stadium before a football match between Udinese and Atalanta, as coronavirus restrictions limit the capacity to 50 percent in Udine, Italy. Reuters -
People sit in a waiting area in case of an immediate reaction after receiving booster shots at a Covid-19 vaccination centre set up in Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. AFP -
People in Vienna scream at police as officers stop a demonstration against Austria's coronavirus restrictions. AP
France has largely tried to beat it with a health passport for vaccinated people, the UK went into a partial lockdown known as Plan B, and the Netherlands went into a more strict lockdown before Christmas.
The number of Covid patients in intensive care units in France fell for the third day in a row, health ministry data showed on Saturday.
France reported 3,852 patients were in intensive care units, 43 fewer than Friday. The number of people to have died of the disease in hospitals rose by 148 to 99,657.
The UK recorded 81,713 new cases and 287 deaths in the latest 24-hour period, down from 99,652 cases and 270 deaths the previous day.
The Dutch relaxed some of their toughest Covid restrictions on Saturday after hospital admissions dropped.
Shops, gyms, hairdressers and sports clubs will be allowed to do business until 5pm daily from Saturday, nearly a month after they were shut down over the Christmas and New Year period.
But restaurants, cafes and cultural locations will remain closed until at least January 25.
