Germany's COVID-19 cases hit daily record of more than 80,000

Germany reported 80,430 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, the highest recorded in a single day since the pandemic began, as the contagious Omicron variant rips through a population with lower vaccination rates than some other parts of Europe.

The previous daily record, on Nov. 26, was more than 76,000.

Germany's tally of infections now stands at 7,661,811. The death toll also rose by 384 on Wednesday to reach 114,735.

Just under 75% of the population has had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the latest figures from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious disease show.

The seven-day incidence rate, a key yardstick in deciding coronavirus policy, has ticked up steadily since the start of the year, to stand at 407.5 cases per 100,000 people on Wednesday, versus 387.9 the day before.

(Reporting by Miranda Murray; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)