Coronavirus death toll exceeds 4,000 in Germany

BERLIN

The death toll from coronavirus in Germany crossed 4,000 on Friday, while the total number of cases neared 140,000, according to health authorities.

At least 289 more deaths from the virus were registered over the past 24 hours, bringing the toll to 4,093, according to data analysis firm Risklayer and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, which compiles real-time figures from nearly 400 local authorities.

With 3,382 new cases in the last 24 hours, the number of people infected with the virus so far climbed to 138,135 in the country.

Germany’s disease control agency, the Robert Koch Institute, has reported that nearly 82,000 people have recovered from the virus so far.

Although recent data showed the infection rate was slowing, the daily death toll remained high.

Friday marked the third day in a row the daily death toll has been above 280.

Germany has the fifth-highest tally of reported COVID-19 infections in the world, ranking behind the U.S., Spain, Italy, and France. But its death toll remains far lower than other hard-hit countries.

Besides widespread coronavirus testing, Germany has also significantly raised the bed capacity of intensive care units in hospitals: from 28,000 to nearly 40,000.

As of Thursday, hospitals across the country had more than 11,300 free intensive care beds for coronavirus patients.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government and federal states agreed on Wednesday to extend coronavirus lockdown measures until May 3, with relaxations for small shops and stores with retail spaces of less than 800 square meters. Restaurants and cafes will remain closed until further notice.

Some schools will gradually reopen after May 4 with senior students and those close to graduation returning first.

The government has announced that it “strongly recommends” that citizens wear masks while shopping and using public transportation.

After originating in Wuhan, China last December, COVID-19 has spread to at least 185 countries and regions across the world, with its epicenter shifting to Europe and the U.S.

The pandemic has killed over 145,500 people and infected some 2.16 million, while nearly 550,000 have recovered from the disease, according to figures compiled by the U.S.’ Johns Hopkins University.