Germany sees number of new Covid cases double in 24 hours

The number of new Covid cases reported in 24 hours has risen by more than 4,400 cases against Tuesday's figure of 3,912, suggesting that the fourth wave is gaining increased momentum. 

The 7-day incidence of Covid infections per 100,000 people also rose significantly over the course of 24 hours. 

READ ALSO: Germany’s nationwide Covid 7-day incidence rises above key threshold of 35

On Wednesday, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) recorded a 7-day incidence of 40.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 37.4 the previous day and 25.1 a week prior.

So far in the pandemic, the 7-day incidence has been used by politicians as the basis for many Covid-related restrictions, such as the federal 'emergency brake', which expired at the end of June.

Though politicians and health experts still consider the incidence an important benchmark, Chancellor Angela Merkel said at a press conference last week that the government would also take into account a range of other factors such as vaccination coverage and hospital admissions when setting the agenda for autumn and beyond.

READ ALSO: Germany to end free-of-charge Covid tests in bid to boost vaccine take-up

According to the RKI, there were 22 Covid-related deaths in the country within 24 hours - marking another jump from last week's figure of 14. 

Statistical expert and Welt reporter Olaf Gersemann pointed out on Twitter that this is the third week in a row in which the number of Covid deaths has risen. However, the slow-progressing vaccination campaign nonetheless seems to be having an impact on hospitalisations and deaths.

As of Wednesday, 63.5 percent of the population had received at least one dose of vaccine, while 57.8 percent of the population were fully vaccinated. 

Incidence over 100 in four districts

Though the nationwide incidence has just broken the 40 mark, four districts in Germany are now seeing 7-day incidences of over 100 per 100,000 people. 

The district with the highest incidence in the country is Flensburg, with 116.5 cases per 100,000 people over the past week, followed by Berlin-Neukölln (111.5), Wuppertal (108.7) and Bonn (104.6). 

#SchleswigHolstein (51) überschreitet als viertes Bundesland wieder die #Corona-Inzidenz-Schwelle von 50 Fällen je 100.000 Einwohner in 7 Tagen - nach #Hamburg (75), #Berlin (69) und #NRW (65).@welt pic.twitter.com/Y7WzguFMpt

— Olaf Gersemann (@OlafGersemann) August 18, 2021

Meanwhile, at the state level, the city-states of Berlin and Hamburg and the populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia are all reporting 7-day incidences of more than 50 per 100,000 residents.

With a 7-day incidence of 75 per 100,000 people, Hamburg tops the scoreboard, closely followed by Berlin with 69 and North Rhine-Westphalia with 65. 

Back in July, when the 7-day incidence had only just passed into double digits, health experts warned that the incidence was doubling every two weeks. 

This now seems to have picked up pace, with the incidence doubling every 11 days. If the trend continues, the country could be recording a nationwide incidence of around 82 cases per 100,000 people by August 29th.