A passenger wearing a face mask gets on a train in Berlin, capital of Germany, on March 24, 2022. (Photo by Stefan Zeitz/Xinhua)
Reported infections remained near record figures as 296,498 cases were reported within 24 hours, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).
BERLIN, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Germany's actual daily COVID-19 infections were likely to be twice as high as the number of officially reported cases, Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach said on Friday.
"The number of unreported cases is not known, but it can be assumed that the actual number of new infections is more than twice as high," Lauterbach said at a press conference. "Unfortunately, it is not a good situation."
Reported infections remained near record figures as 296,498 cases were reported within 24 hours, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). The seven-day incidence per 100,000 residents slightly rose to a new record level of 1,756.4.
Passengers wearing face masks are seen on a platform of a station in Berlin, capital of Germany, on March 24, 2022. (Photo by Stefan Zeitz/Xinhua)
Nevertheless, a high number of deaths, around 300 per day, and the "impending overload of the health care system are unacceptable," Lauterbach said. "We have come to a situation where we cannot simply wait."
Lauterbach defended the recent easing of nearly all COVID-19 measures in Germany, but urged the federal states to use their right to tighten measures again for particularly critical hotspots.
Unvaccinated people should get a jab as they could "hardly avoid infection at the moment." Although elderly people and those with pre-existing conditions were particularly at risk, almost 90 percent had not received a fourth vaccination.
As of Thursday, 75.9 percent of Germany's population had been fully vaccinated, with at least 48.6 million booster shots administered, according to official figures. However, 19.5 million people in the country remain unvaccinated.
A man wearing a face mask is seen on a platform of a station in Berlin, capital of Germany, on March 24, 2022.(Photo by Stefan Zeitz/Xinhua)■
