With winter looming, German health officials and experts have raised concerns about a new surge of coronavirus cases.
Infections in Germany -- about 12,775 daily on average -- have increased by 57% in the past two weeks, according to a New York Times database. Deaths on average in the same period have increased by 11%.
The surge comes as many European countries slowly lifted lockdowns this summer after months of restrictions driven by variants of the virus.
A national state of emergency is currently in place in Germany -- which allows the government to unilaterally impose restrictions on states -- but it is set to expire Nov. 25. The order can be extended by a parliamentary vote, and some state officials are advocating that lawmakers do so.
Germany's health minister, Jens Spahn, though, noted the country's high vaccination rate and said the emergency order could be lifted while other rules are put in place, like mask mandates and proof of vaccination. About 70% of the population has received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine.
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Pandemic restrictions in Germany are set individually by the country's 16 states, and in general, masks are required on public transportation and in stores. Since August, visitors to Germany have had to show proof of vaccination, recovery from infection or a recent negative test for entry to indoor public spaces, like restaurants, salons and gyms.
China reported 26 new cases of coronavirus Saturday, as a spread of cases linked to domestic vacation travel continued to be felt around the country and officials ordered mass testing and lockdowns in some areas.
New cases were concentrated in the northwestern provinces of Inner Mongolia, Gansu and Ningxia. Four cases were also reported in Beijing, the capital.
China has imposed a strict regimen to control the spread of the coronavirus that first emerged in the city of Wuhan in late 2019. Its government has not reported any large or significant outbreaks this year.
The United States, by contrast, has been averaging about 73,300 new coronavirus cases daily.
China's new domestic case numbers were down slightly from Friday, when 38 were reported, the highest since mid-September.
Several of the most recent cases have been linked to a couple from Shanghai who traveled to Shaanxi, Gansu and Inner Mongolia. A subsequent outbreak in the Changping district of Beijing was traced to a group of Beijing residents who had traveled to Inner Mongolia and back by car.
This week, Beijing has sealed off parts of the Changping district for large-scale testing, closed some community centers and asked residents not to leave the city unless necessary.
Five cities in Gansu shut down tourist attractions, theaters and other public places and imposed restrictions on movement to prevent further spread, the state-run Lanzhou Evening News reported Saturday.
Information for this article was contributed by Isabella Kwai and Austin Ramzy of The New York Times.