Germany's total COVID-19 infections exceed 10 mln

A pedestrian wearing a face mask walks on a street in Berlin, capital of Germany, on Feb. 2, 2022. The total number of COVID-19 infections reported in Germany since the start of the pandemic surged to 10.19 million, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases said on Wednesday. (Photo by Stefan Zeitz/Xinhua)

BERLIN, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- The total number of COVID-19 infections reported in Germany since the start of the pandemic surged to 10.19 million, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases said on Wednesday.

Daily COVID-19 infections reached a new all-time high as the RKI reported 208,498 new cases on Wednesday. Germany's seven-day COVID-19 incidence rate also continued to rise and hit a new record of 1,227.5 infections per 100,000 inhabitants.

At the same time, the number of patients treated in intensive care units (ICUs) remained at around 2,300, far below the peak of around 5,700 during the height of the second wave in early 2021, according to the German Intensive Care Availability Register (DIVI).

Because of the high demand for COVID-19 tests amidst the Omicron wave, laboratories in Germany continued to be "at the limit," the Association of Accredited Laboratories in Medicine (ALM) said on Tuesday.

The number of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests conducted last week reached an all-time high of 2.44 million, of which, more than 1 million came back positive, according to data by ALM.

Germany's COVID-19 measures were extended in late January and include contact restrictions, mandatory masks in schools and public transport, and the so-called 3G rule which requires valid proof of immunization after vaccination or recovery or a recent negative test in many areas of public life.

"I hope that many protective measures can be withdrawn in March," Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann told newspaper Rheinische Post on Wednesday. ■

A man prepares to have a COVID-19 test at a test station in Berlin, capital of Germany, on Feb. 2, 2022. The total number of COVID-19 infections reported in Germany since the start of the pandemic surged to 10.19 million, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases said on Wednesday. (Photo by Stefan Zeitz/Xinhua)

People wearing face masks wait for a train in Berlin, capital of Germany, on Feb. 2, 2022. The total number of COVID-19 infections reported in Germany since the start of the pandemic surged to 10.19 million, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases said on Wednesday. (Photo by Stefan Zeitz/Xinhua)

A man waits to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination center in Berlin, capital of Germany, on Feb. 2, 2022. The total number of COVID-19 infections reported in Germany since the start of the pandemic surged to 10.19 million, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases said on Wednesday. (Photo by Stefan Zeitz/Xinhua)

People line up to have COVID-19 tests at a mobile test station in Berlin, capital of Germany, on Feb. 2, 2022. The total number of COVID-19 infections reported in Germany since the start of the pandemic surged to 10.19 million, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases said on Wednesday. (Photo by Stefan Zeitz/Xinhua)