Germany to close borders with five countries from Monday

Germany will close its borders with France, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark and Luxembourg from Monday morning due to the coronavirus crisis, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer announced at a press conference in Berlin on Sunday evening.

Temporary border controls will come into effect on 8 a.m. on Monday, with exceptions for goods traffic and commuters for work. Travelers without a valid reason are not allowed to travel in and out, Seehofer said.

The spread of the coronavirus is fast and aggressive, Seehofer noted, adding that the peak of the development has not been reached in Germany. The new measures are meant to break the chain of transmission, he said.

Data from Germany’s disease control agency showed that the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country climbed to 4,838 as of Sunday afternoon, 1,043 more from the previous day. The death toll rose to 12.

For that matter, a total of 152,428 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus disease have been reported globally as of Sunday morning, World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson Fadela Chaib told Xinhua.

Among confirmed infections, 5,720 patients have died, with the number of affected countries and regions rising to 141, Chaib said.

As the virus spreads increasingly worldwide, WHO has characterized COVID-19 as a “pandemic,” noting Europe has become the epicenter of the disease.

“By calling COVID-19 a pandemic, WHO’s advice to countries and individuals doesn’t change,” the spokesperson said, stressing a comprehensive, blended approach of both containment and mitigation of COVID-19 should continue.

“To fight this new virus, there is a great need for countries to take immediate actions and scale up response to treat, detect and reduce transmission to save people’s lives,” said Chaib.

She called on countries to ready emergency response systems, increase detection and care for patients, ensure hospitals have sufficient space, supplies and personnel, and develop life-saving medical interventions.

Source: Xinhua – BERLIN & GENEVA