The first case of coronavirus in Berlin was confirmed late on Sunday evening, meaning that the virus is now present in 10 federal states in Germany. The number of confirmed cases jumped sharply over the weekend, from 53 on Friday to more than 150 on Monday. 

First coronavirus case in Berlin

According to Health Senator Dilek Kalayci, the cases in Berlin involves a young man from Berlin-Mitte. He was admitted to the Charité hospital late on Sunday night in a stable condition, and is being treated there in isolation. 

The man is believed to have had recent contact with at least 60 individuals, including his parents, his roommates, and some friends. They have all been contacted by authorities and  been ordered to quarantine themselves at their homes in Berlin and North Rhine-Westphalia. 

Coronavirus infections in 10 federal states

This latest case means that there are now confirmed cases of coronavirus in 10 out of Germany’s 16 federal states: Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Berlin, Hesse, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Hamburg, Bremen, Schleswig-Holstein and Rhineland-Palatinate. 

More than half of all the cases in Germany (90) are in the country’s most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia. The number of cases is particularly high in the district of Heinsberg, after an infected couple attended Carnival celebrations last weekend. 

In Baden-Württemberg, four further infections were confirmed late on Sunday evening, bringing the total number of cases in this southern state to 20. According to the Ministry of Social Affairs in Hesse, two further cases of coronavirus were also diagnosed on Sunday. There have now been 10 confirmed cases in Hesse, including three in Frankfurt am Main.

13 new coronavirus cases have been identified in Bavaria since Thursday, bringing the total number of infections in the Free State to 26. 14 of these were involved in a smaller outbreak back in January, and have since been discharged from hospital.  

So far, no coronavirus infections have been detected in Saarland, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt or Thuringia.

Coronavirus cases per federal state

The map below gives an overview of the number of coronavirus infections in each federal state:

Trade fairs cancelled and Lufthansa extends flight suspension

Meanwhile, health authorities are working hard to try to control the spread of the virus. The world’s largest travel fair, International Travel Trade Show Berlin, which was due to open on March 4, was cancelled on Friday over coronavirus fears. The Leipzig Book Fair, however, which attracts around 280.000 people each year, is due to go ahead as planned on March 12 - 15. 

Lufthansa also announced that its suspension of flights to mainland China would continue until the end of April. There will also be fewer flights to Hong Kong and Seoul until April 24, and the flight schedule to Italy will be thinned out due to falling demand. 

Nonetheless, Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn stated firmly on Monday morning that he is not considering closing Germany’s borders, and is moreover against the widespread cancellation of events or closure of companies. Describing these actions as generally not advisable, proportional or appropriate, he said that “each company has to evaluate it.”