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HEALTH-VIRUS-GERMANY-TOLL
Germany’s coronavirus deaths toll tops 40,000
BERLIN, Jan 10, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – The total number of deaths in Germany
caused by the coronavirus crossed the 40,000 mark on Sunday, the centre for
disease control announced.
Germany recorded 465 deaths over the past 24 hours, the Robert Koch
Institute said, raising the toll since the start of the pandemic to 40,343.
More than 1.9 million people have been infected so far, with almost 17,000
new cases added since Saturday.
In her weekly video message on Saturday, Chancellor Angela Merkel said the
full impact of socialising over the Christmas and New Year’s period was yet
to show up in the statistics.
She warned Germans that the coming weeks will be “the hardest phase of the
pandemic” so far, with many doctors and medical staff working at their
limits.
Germany fared better than many other European countries during the first
Covid-19 wave in the spring but it has been hit hard by the second wave.
The nation of some 83 million people, the bloc’s most populous, has imposed
another round of restrictions to limit social contacts and help hospitals
cope with a surge in patients.
More than 5,000 Covid-19 patients are currently in intensive care
nationwide, with more than 80 percent of intensive care beds occupied.
Germany has closed schools and non-essential shops, culture and leisure
facilities until at least January 31 in the hopes of slowing the outbreak.
Like other EU nations, it started vaccinating citizens against Covid-19 in
late December using the Pfizer/BioNTech jab.
More than half a million have received the jab so far.
Merkel acknowledged the vaccine campaign had got off to a slow start, “but
the tempo will pick up”, she said.
“What’s important is that we can say: we will have enough of the vaccine
available for everyone in Germany,” she added.
“Month after month we will inoculate more people and eventually we will be
able to offer the vaccine to anyone who wants it.”
BSS/AFP/ARS/1552 hrs