UPDATE - Germany sets daily record with over 50,000 new COVID-19 cases

ADDS COMMENTS FROM VICE CHANCELLOR SCHOLZ

BERLIN (AA) - Germany reported more than 50,000 coronavirus cases on Thursday, the highest daily total since the pandemic started, according to official data.

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the country's disease control agency, has confirmed 50,196 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, up from 39,676 cases on Wednesday.

The virus claimed 235 more lives in the last 24 hours, marking the second consecutive day fatalities have exceeded 200.

The number of active cases climbed to 364,400, a new high in the pandemic's current fourth wave.

New cases have jumped sharply in recent weeks in the eastern regions of Saxony and Thuringia, which have the lowest vaccination rates among the 16 federal states.

Last week, the RKI warned that infections in Germany are likely to rise as people spend more time indoors during the colder months and a large number of people remain unvaccinated.

As of Wednesday, 55.9 million people, or 67.3 %, have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The government's goal has been to vaccinate at least 75% of the population to prevent an exponential rise in new infections during the fall and winter months.

- New measures

Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Thursday that authorities will introduce new measures in the coming weeks to stem the spread of the virus.

Speaking in parliament on the new coronavirus situation, he said officials will organize a wider vaccination campaign, re-introduce a free testing scheme and bring in the “3G rule” in the workplace in which employees will have to present proof of vaccination, recovery from the virus or have a negative test before coming to work.

Scholz backed the initiative of several federal states which decided this week to implement the “2G rule” that allows only those who are vaccinated and recovered to access indoor public spaces, such as restaurants, cafes and cultural facilities.

Germany’s central government and premiers of the federal states are scheduled to meet next week to discuss the situation and new anti-coronavirus measures.