Germany: Coronavirus death toll tops 2,000

BERLIN (AA) - The death toll from coronavirus in Germany crossed 2,000 on Wednesday, while the total number of cases neared 110,000, according to local health authorities.

Data analysis firm Risklayer and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, which compiles real-time figures from nearly 400 local authorities, reported 207 new deaths over the past 24 hours, bringing the toll to 2,017.

With 4,284 new cases, the number of people infected with the virus climbed to 107,659.

More than 33,000 people were estimated to have recovered from the virus so far, according to figures published by Tagesspiegel daily.

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

Besides widespread coronavirus testing, Germany has also significantly increased the number of intensive care beds in hospitals: from 28,000 to nearly 40,000 in a couple of weeks.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition government has announced that strict lockdown measures will continue until at least April 20.

Since appearing in Wuhan, China last December, the virus has spread to at least 184 countries and regions, according to figures compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

The data shows more than 1.4 million cases have been reported worldwide, with more than 82,100 deaths, and nearly 302,000 recoveries.