Health authorities in Germany reported a record number of daily coronavirus deaths on Wednesday, just as the country entered a new, tougher lockdown. 

952 new coronavirus deaths in Germany

The number of coronavirus deaths in Germany rose steeply in the 24 hours to Wednesday morning, reaching a new record high of 952, according to figures from the Robert Koch Institute. The previous high of 598 deaths was recorded last Friday. A further 27.728 new infections were reported by health authorities across Germany. 

However, the RKI noted that the figures from Tuesday did not contain any data from Saxony, meaning that Wednesday’s record can in part be explained by a delay in reporting. 

Nonetheless, the number of daily deaths in Germany has recently been rising steeply, reflecting the sharp increase in the number of daily infections. On Tuesday, 500 new deaths were confirmed - even without the missing data from Saxony, that is the third highest value since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. As of Wednesday, the total number of people who have died in relation to a confirmed coronavirus infection rose to 23.427. 

Seven-day incidence in Germany hits new high of 179,8

The seven-day incidence - the number of new infections per 100.000 inhabitants over the past week, which is taken as a crucial measure for assessing the coronavirus situation in Germany - also reached a new high of 179,8, up from 173,7 on Tuesday. 

The record number of coronavirus deaths were recorded on the same day that a new shutdown came into force nationwide. As of this Wednesday, non-essential shops, schools and daycare facilities across Germany will be forced to close their doors until at least January 10.