Germany has once again reached a new record in the rise of coronavirus infections over a one-day period, as concerns grow that the country might lose its grip on the pandemic as the colder months approach.
The Robert Koch Institute, the national agency for disease control, said 2,673 more cases had been confirmed on Friday, the highest daily rise seen since the second half of April. Eight more people died after catching the virus, bringing the death toll to 9,503.
At the height of the pandemic in late March and early April, Germany was counting over 6,000 new cases per day. The country has gradually lifted lockdown rules since May, as authorities opt for a contact-tracing strategy and localized restrictions in response to regional outbreaks.
Meanwhile, masks have become ubiquitous on public transport and in shops. Germans are also being encouraged to keep windows open, as the summer draws to an end and socializing begins to move indoors.
"The difficult time, the autumn and winter months, is yet to come," Chancellor Angela Merkel said earlier this week.
The number of people in Germany planning to travel in the latter half of 2020 has fallen dramatically, with just one in five planning a trip – 8% abroad and 12% in Germany, according to a YouGov study commissioned by German Press Agency (dpa).
Last year, 41% planned a trip during that period: 23% abroad and 18% in Germany. Two-thirds of people polled in the representative survey said they plan to stay at home this autumn and winter, while 8% were still undecided. And there is a huge question mark over Germany's festive period in December, with many companies canceling their Christmas parties and the country's famous Christmas markets weighing up strict hygiene measures or even a canceled season.
"This year the number of Christmas parties at most companies has dropped toward zero," said Bernd Fritzges, head of the VDVO industry body which represents around 600 event planners in the country. There are concerns about the effect this will have on small and medium-sized businesses.
Sweeping restrictions introduced to slow the spread of the virus in March plunged Europe's largest economy into a recession, with gross domestic product (GDP) currently not expected to return to precrisis levels until 2022.