Germany reported 952 new virus-related deaths on Tuesday, the highest single-day count and a major spike compared to previous daily recorded fatalities, according to the country's centre for disease control.

The previous highest daily count of Covid deaths was 598 on Dec. 11, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).

The RKI also recorded 27,728 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday.

The institute warned that the number could further increase, since the state of Saxony, Germany’s worst-hit region, has not yet reported its daily tally of infections.

Germany is currently experiencing a major surge of infections, hospitalizations and deaths. The country entered into a hard national lockdown on Wednesday in an effort to bring the situation under control.