Germany enters harder lockdown as virus deaths hit new high

Germany hit a new record level of coronavirus deaths as it entered a harder lockdown Wednesday, closing shops and schools to try to bring down stubbornly high new cases.

country recorded 179.8 deaths of new infections per 100,000 residents over last seven days, a new high and significantly more than 149 per 100,000 reported a week ago by Robert Koch Institute, country's disease control center.

It also blew past its previous daily total, with Germany's 16 states reporting 952 people h died of virus, ncy said. That was far greater than previous daily record set Friday of 598 deaths, although included two days of figures from hard-hit eastern state of Saxony, which did t report Tuesday. It brought country's overall pandemic death toll to 23,427.

Faced with exponentially increasing cases in October, Germany implemented a “lockdown light” at start of vember, which closed bars and restaurants but left shops open. measures succeeded in leveling off numbers of new daily infections, but didn't bring m down, prompting new stricter restrictions.

In dition to closing shops and moving children to remote learning for few days before Christmas holidays, private garings are being limited to two households with a maximum of five people, among or things.

measures are expected to be in place until at least Jan. 10 and enjoy wide support, with latest polls showing more than 80% of Germans approve of lockdown restrictions or think y should be stricter.

Germany was widely praised for slowing spre of its outbreak in spring, but as people grew lax with distancing and mask rules over summer numbers of cases started to climb again.

While daily new cases peaked at about 6,000 in March, y are w more than four times that level, with 27,728 new cases reported Wednesday by Robert Koch Institute.

number of new infections per 100,000 residents over last seven days hit a record high of 179.8, ncy reported.

German officials have pressed European Union's regulatory ncy hard to speed up its approval of a coronavirus vaccine, and European Medicines ncy has scheduled a meeting on that for Monday. With vaccinations expected to start before year's end, German officials have urged people to stay patient and respect regulations over holidays.

Health Minister Jens Spahn said Germany was rey to start rolling out vaccine and could begin vaccinations within two to four days of European approval.

“By summer we'll be able to return to rmal, step by step,” he said on RTL television Wednesday.