Germany has become the tenth country in the world to cross the 2 million mark when it comes to confirmed cases of COVID-19. According to the Daily Situation Report released by Robert Koch Institute (RKI), which is the country’s disease control agency, total number of confirmed cases stand at 2,000,958 as of January 15.

The report says, “Currently, the number of transmissions in the population in Germany is high. RKI now judges the level of threat to the health of the general population as very high.” It further says, “Yesterday, 22,368 new laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases as well as 1,113 new deaths associated with COVID-19 were transmitted to the RKI in Germany. The national 7-day incidence is 146 cases per 100,000 population. In Brandenburg, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia it is markedly above the national incidence.”

RKI observes, “Since the beginning of December, there has been a renewed sharp rise in the number of cases. During the holidays, the number of cases decreased. In the last few days, the number of cases has risen again. Whether this trend will continue, beyond the expected retesting and re-reporting, will only become clear in the course of the next few days.”

As far as cases of the new variant (B.1.1.7), that was first reported in the United Kingdom, are concerned, RKI says, “So far, a few cases of this new variant in Germany have been reported to the RKI. Further cases may be expected.” It also says, “WHO has also reported another new virus variant detected in South Africa possibly associated with higher transmissibility and more severe disease. Isolates of this lineage have also been identified sporadically in Germany.”

North Rhine Westphalia (444,159), Bavaria (369,672) and Baden-Wuerttemberg (270,036) are the worst affected regions in the country as per the latest data released by RKI. The total death toll so far stands at 44,994.

Other countries that have crosses the 2 million mark include the United States, Brazil, India and Mexico among others.

*Feature image by Michal Beim via Wikimedia Commons.