Germany's coronavirus situation is dramatic, Chancellor Angela Merkel said, calling for a push to distribute booster shots faster and appealing to those skeptical of vaccination to change their minds
Germany reported 52,826 new infections on Wednesday - a jump of a third compared with a week ago and another daily record, while 294 people died, bringing the total to 98,274, as the pandemic's fourth wave tightened its grip on Europe.
Only 68% of people in Europe's most populous country are fully vaccinated - lower than the average in western Europe due to a tradition of vaccine hesitancy, while 5% of the population has had a booster shot.A placard, which reads: "Mandatory use of masks in the whole area inside and outside the buildings", is seen in the University Hospital in Dresden, Germany, November 8, 2021.
Germany has enough doses for a booster campaign, in part because it has delayed plans to donate vaccines to the COVAX facility that distributes them to poorer countries, Health Minister Jens Spahn said.