Germany: Nearly 1,300 coronavirus cases confirmed

Health minister rejects calls to close borders, saying virus is already in Germany and closures will make no difference

BERLIN (AA) - The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany rose to 1,296, the country’s disease control agency announced on Wednesday.

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) did not report any new fatalities, leaving the death toll unchanged at two.

Germany’s two most populous states, Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia, have decided to cancel major events with more than 1,000 participants to stop the virus from spreading.

Meanwhile, German Health Minister Jens Spahn rejected calls to close the country’s borders, amid a surge in deaths in nearby Italy and growing numbers of cases in other European countries.

“The virus is in Germany … It will keep spreading even if you strengthen controls at the borders or close all the borders,” he told public radio DLF on Wednesday.

Coronavirus, officially known also COVID-19, was first detected last December in Wuhan, China.

The global death toll from the virus is now over 4,292, with more than 119,300 confirmed cases, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).

The virus has spread to six continents and more than 100 countries.

Kaynak: