OREANDA-NEWS. In Germany, 66 884 new cases of coronavirus were detected in the past 24 hours, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute, which keeps statistics on the incidence of the disease in Germany. This is an all-time record since the beginning of the pandemic in the country. 

The rapid increase in the spread of the virus in the country has been observed for the past three weeks: while in late October Germany recorded 9-10 thousand new cases per day, in early November the number rose to 30,000 and above. The latest anti-record was set on 18 November when the number of detected cases stood at 65,371.

Spiegel also points to a sharp rise in the seven-day coronavirus prevalence rate - the number of infected per 100,000 inhabitants in a week. Now it is more than 400. The figure has been a daily record-breaker since November 8.

To date, the total number of infections detected since the start of the pandemic in Germany is nearly 5.5 million. The number of fatalities from the pandemic is approaching 100,000.

 According to the Koch Institute, 68% of the country's population has been vaccinated.

On 18 November, German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with heads of the country's federal states and, as a result, a new package of sanitary measures aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus was adopted.

Authorities are now guided by the number of people hospitalised, rather than the number of cases, when making decisions. Three levels of clinic occupancy (3, 6 and 9) are being introduced, according to which new restrictions will be imposed.