Germany has passed the threshold of 100,000 deaths due to COVID-19, with the latest wave of the pandemic still pushing new infections higher and hospitals in some hotspots under severe pressure.

Bloomberg reported that the pandemic took hold at the beginning of last year, 100,119 people have died from the virus, according to the latest data from the RKI public-health institute. The number roughly equals the population of mid-sized German cities like Erlangen or Guetersloh, the home towns of Siemens Healthineers AG and media firm Bertelsmann SE respectively.

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However, Germany’s death toll is still lower than in the UK, France or Italy, which each passed 100,000 some time ago. The US has recorded the most deaths with more than 770,000, followed by Brazil with over 610,000, according to the Bloomberg COVID-19 Tracker.

The number of daily fatalities in Germany is only about a fifth of the level seen last winter, with about 68% of the population fully vaccinated against the disease.

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Hospitals in Germany are nonetheless becoming increasingly overwhelmed in some regions, and the government’s latest measures have yet to show a tangible effect.

With infections still on the rise, experts warn that another lockdown like in neighboring Austria could become unavoidable, inflicting more damage on Europe’s biggest economy and delaying its recovery.