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 The Robert Koch Institute, Germany's state infectious disease
agency, reported 67,186 new cases on Wednesday, up 302 from a week
ago, and 446 deaths - the highest daily figure since Feb. 18,
bringing the overall death toll to 101,790.
However, the seven-day incidence rate per 100,000 fell for a second
day to 442.9 people, from 452.2 people on Tuesday.
Germany's federal and regional governments agreed on Tuesday to take
action to counter the fourth wave of COVID-19, including stepping up
the vaccination campaign and restricting contact, especially for
unvaccinated people.
Already criticised by scientists for acting too late, the leaders
agreed to take firm decisions on Thursday on proposals such as
forcing customers to show proof of vaccination or recovery in shops
and limiting numbers of people at big events.
Gernot Marx, president of the DIVI association for intensive care
medicine, warned that the country could still have 6,000 people in
intensive care by Christmas regardless of what measures are now
decided by politicians.
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 That compares with a previous
high of 5,745 coronavirus patients in intensive
care on Jan. 3. Germany also has fewer beds
available now due to a shortage of nursing
staff.
"The situation is really becoming increasingly
tight," Marx told ZDF television, calling for
the government to consider a temporary lockdown.
"We need to save the clinics from collapse."
Four people in southern Germany have tested
positive for the Omicron COVID-19 variant even
though they were fully vaccinated against the
coronavirus, the public health office in the
state of Baden-Wuerttemberg said.
Three of the infected people returned from a
business trip to South Africa on Nov. 26 and
Nov. 27 respectively, and the fourth person is a
family member of one of the returnees. All four
showed moderate symptoms.
(Writing by Paul Carrel and Emma
ThomassonEditing by Kirsti Knolle and Peter
Graff)
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