Germany will ‘overcome’ coronavirus outbreak, president says

Germany reported its fourth death related to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic on Thursday.

Health officials in Stuttgart said a 67-year-old man died in the southern state of Baden-Württemberg. This is the first death outside of North Rhine-Westphalia, the German state where the majority of cases have been reported.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Germany currently stands at 2,078.

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German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called on German citizens to adapt their routines in the wake of what the World Health Organization has now called a “global pandemic.”

“We need to change our daily lives — not gradually, but right now,” he said. “With everything we know today, we are looking at some very serious developments to come.”

He described the outbreak as a challenge “that we can and will overcome, thanks to our well-functioning health system.”

• How is coronavirus affecting life in Germany?

  Food donations drop

  Panic-buying has left empty shelves in supermarkets — and food banks. With Germans snapping up canned goods and toilet paper to weather the outbreak, stores have fewer supplies left over to donate to the needy, said Jochen Brühl, head of Tafel Deutschland, which supports more than 1.5 million people with surplus groceries and other donations. Brühl encouraged those who had overreacted to donate.

• How is coronavirus affecting life in Germany?

  Bundesliga behind closed doors

  Health Minister Jens Spahn has urged that all events with more than 1,000 participants be called off. The German Football League (DFL) has said it plans to consult with clubs and authorities to decide whether teams will play matches in empty stadiums, saying health was a “top priority.” The derby between FC Cologne and Borussia Mönchengladbach was the first ever Bundesliga match without fans.

• How is coronavirus affecting life in Germany?

  Culture cancellations

  Cultural life has also taken a hit, with major fairs and trade shows canceled or postponed. Among the casualties was the Leipzig Book Fair and the Musikmesse Frankfurt, Europe’s biggest music trade fair. Clubs and galleries have put off events across the country, and the gala award show for the annual German film and television award, the Goldene Kamera, has been moved to November.

• How is coronavirus affecting life in Germany?

  Most schools open, for now

  Unlike in Italy, schools across Germany remain open, though there have been localized closings in certain hot spots. The German Teachers’ Association has estimated that around 100 schools and day care centers across the country were currently affected. Baden-Württemberg’s education minister said the state was preparing for the possibility of postponing school leaving examinations.

• How is coronavirus affecting life in Germany?

  Not the ‘Wuhan flu’

  The Chinese origin of the virus has led to an increase in xenophobic sentiment in the places worst hit by the outbreak. Asian restaurants and stores — not just Chinese — have reported empty tables in Western countries like the US and Italy, and people with Asian features have experienced discrimination. At a recent Bundesliga game in Leipzig, a group of Japanese fans was ejected from the stadium.

• How is coronavirus affecting life in Germany?

  Flights grounded

  German airline Lufthansa has reduced its flight capacity by 50% because of the coronavirus outbreak, grounding 150 planes and canceling some 7,100 flights through the end of March. The airline said its summer schedule will also likely be cut back. The cancellations are due in part to decreased demand: business travel is down, with more people working from home and avoiding unnecessary travel.

• How is coronavirus affecting life in Germany?

  Car production crippled

  Car plants in China have been shut down since January, and major German automakers like Volkswagen and Daimler have said both sales and production have been hit by the epidemic. And with many automakers sourcing electric car parts from China, work at plants in Germany has also hit a stumbling block. Berlin has said it plans to financially support companies suffering coronavirus losses.

• How is coronavirus affecting life in Germany?

  Fewer tourists

  “The consequences for the German tourism sector are serious,” warned Guido Zöllick, head of the German Hotel and Restaurant Association. In a recent survey of its members, 76.1% have reported a sharp decrease in bookings and a drop in revenue. In Berlin, the German parliament has announced that tourists won’t be allowed to access the glass dome of the Reichstag building until further notice.

• How is coronavirus affecting life in Germany?

  Border checks

  After Italy and France, Germany has the largest number of coronavirus cases in Europe. In an effort to prevent further spread, authorities in Poland and the Czech Republic have begun spot checks, measuring the temperature of travelers crossing main road borders out of Germany. Poland plans to extend the controls to other railway and port crossings.

  Author: Martin Kuebler

‘Avoid hugging’

The elderly must act particularly carefully, German Social Affairs Minister Franziska Giffey said on Thursday.

“Older people, grandparents and their families should rethink their habits, for example by avoiding local public transport, stopping hugging people and not attending large public events,” she said.

The effects of a coronavirus infection have proven particularly severe for elderly people and those with underlying health conditions. 

The eastern German city of Halle closed all schools and kindergartens, but some are concerned that closing schools can put grandparents who step in as caregivers under risk by putting them in contact with young children who may be infected.

Read more: Coronavirus, cold, or flu symptoms: Should I see a doctor?

“The surge is extremely quick,” Germany’s federal government agency for disease control and prevention, the Robert Koch Institute, announced. On Wednesday Chancellor Angela Merkel suggested that up to 70% of the population could become infected.

Merkel’s CDU party have canceled a conference scheduled for April 25 because of the outbreak, when Merkel’s successor as party leader was supposed to be elected.

The chancellor will hold a press conference on the developing crisis later on Thursday.

ed/sms (dpa, Reuters)

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Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/germany-will-overcome-coronavirus-outbreak-president-says/a-52738137?maca=en-rss-en-ger-1023-xml-atom