COVID-19: Germany sees 6-month record in daily infections

BERLIN

Germany recorded 5,132 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Wednesday, the highest daily figure since April 5, according to official figures.

The Robert Koch Institute reported 43 more coronavirus-related fatalities, bringing the countrywide death toll to 9,677.

Hospitalized patient numbers rose to 620, up from about 450 a week ago, according to the country's disease control agency.

Amid growing coronavirus cases, German Chancellor Angela Merkel invited the premiers of 16 federal states for a face-to-face meeting in Berlin later on Wednesday to discuss possible new measures to contain the pandemic.

Germany's neighbors -- France, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Poland -- also reported record high daily coronavirus cases recently, pushing authorities to introduce new restrictions to stem the spread of the virus.

The pandemic has claimed more than 1 million lives in 189 countries and territories since the virus was first detected in Wuhan, China in December.

The US, India and Brazil are currently the worst-hit countries.

More than 38.1 million cases have been reported with more than 26.4 million recoveries, according to figures compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University.