The Latest: Germany reports highest one-day virus increase

BERLIN — Germany has reported its highest one-day total of new coronavirus cases, while the number of deaths linked to COVID-19 has climbed above 20,000.

The national disease control center, the Robert Koch Institute, said Thursday that 23,679 new cases were confirmed over the previous 24 hours. That’s just above the previous record of 23,648 from Nov. 20.

A partial shutdown that started Nov. 2 has succeeded in keeping the surge from picking up speed, but the number of daily new cases have remained around the same high level in recent weeks rather than falling. Momentum is building for a harder lockdown over Christmas and New Year, and some regions already are introducing new restrictions.

That’s partly because deaths, which have been relatively low in Germany compared with several other European countries, have increased markedly. Another 440 deaths were reported on Thursday, following a single-day record of 590 on Wednesday.

That brought the total so far to 20,372. Germany has reported some 1.24 million coronavirus cases since the pandemic began.

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THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:

About 50% of Americans will take the new coronavirus vaccine, according to The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey. About 25% of U.S. adults aren’t sure if they want to get vaccinated, taking a wait and see approach.

Canada health regulators approve Pfizer’s vaccine, days ahead of possible approval in the United States. Health Canada says 249,000 doses of the vaccine made by U.S. drugmaker Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech will arrive this month and be administered within days.

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