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A helper holds a test stick in the corona test center at the airport in Hanover
Photo: Julian Stratenschulte / dpa
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Number of new corona infections in Germany at a new record high
5.30 a.m.:
The number of new infections with the
corona virus
in Germany has reached a new record high.
According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), 23,542 new cases of infection were recorded within one day.
The previous high had been 23,399 new infections and was counted by the RKI last Saturday.
According to the latest figures from the institute, a total of 751,095 cases of infection have been registered in Germany since the start of the pandemic.
The number of deaths associated with the novel coronavirus rose to 12,200 nationwide - this was 218 more than the previous day.
The number of people recovered was around 481,700.
Transport companies: Money from the federal government will last until April
5.15 a.m.:
According to the industry association VDV, billions in
aid
from the federal government for local transport companies will last until April 2021 and thus longer than expected.
The minus this year is not as strong as feared at the beginning of the corona pandemic, the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) informed the "Handelsblatt".
For the coming year, the association expects that the state will have to help companies with around two billion euros.
VDV managing director Oliver Wolff said it was a "moderate increase" because the companies were maintaining public mobility.
"Everyone who has to get to work continues to take the first bus in the morning and the last train in the evening," said Wolff.
"We won't return to normal before 2022 at the earliest."
For this year, he expects that the municipal transport companies will be missing just under 3.6 billion euros in revenue from ticket sales compared to 2019, because buses and trains are used less often in the pandemic.
The industry had expected losses of around five billion euros.
The federal and state governments had agreed to equalize this amount in half.
The federal government increased the so-called regionalization funds with which it contributes to the financing of local public transport by 2.5 billion euros.
The countries should contribute the same amount.
The funds should be distributed among the individual federal states as required.
Pfizer is negotiating vaccine delivery with Brazil in early 2021
3:50 a.m.:
According to Pfizer, Brazil is negotiating the delivery of the vaccine developed with Biontech in the first quarter of 2021. The agent will be sold at three different prices, said Pfizer's Brazil boss Carlos Murillo.
A distinction is made between wealthy countries, middle-income countries like Brazil and countries with little financial means.
So far, Brazil has a contract with AstraZeneca for their vaccine.
The South American country is one of the hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis worldwide.
Most recently, it reported 33,207 new infections and 908 other deaths related to the virus.
With these 25 tips you will get through the Corona winter
3.30 a.m.:
Restaurants and clubs are closed, gyms are closed, and friends are far too rare to meet: These tips are for everyone who's just hit the wall.
Read more here.
Israel secures vaccine from Pfizer and Biontech
3:05 a.m.:
Israel secures eight million doses of the vaccine from Pfizer and Biontech.
This means that almost half of Israelis can be vaccinated, says Health Minister Yuli Edelstein.
The delivery should start in January.
Pfizer and Biontech confirmed the agreement.
The companies did not want to comment on the financial details.
A corresponding preliminary contract should be signed on Friday, said Pfizer.
How do you keep 1.3 billion cans at minus 70 degrees?
02.55 a.m.: The Biontech vaccine BNT162b2 should go all over the world - but the cold chain must not be interrupted.
German transport experts are supposed to help solve the problem.
Read more here.
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cop / dpa / Reuters / AFP / sid