After the number of new coronavirus cases in the west of Germany rose to at least 10 by Thursday morning, health authorities are searching for more people who might have contracted the virus. Individuals who have been in contact with the infected have been placed under quarantine. 

At least 10 confirmed coronavirus cases in western Germany

In North Rhine-Westphalia, a 47-year-old man from Heinsberg was diagnosed with coronavirus on Tuesday evening, marking the first case in western Germany. His wife, who is a teacher in a kindergarten, tested positive for the virus shortly afterwards. Both are being treated at the University Hospital in Düsseldorf. 

On Wednesday evening, authorities confirmed that a further three people, who had all had contact with the couple, had contracted the virus. They have all been placed in quarantine at home. Then, on Thursday morning, a sixth case was confirmed. 

The NRW Health Ministry is now striving to find more potential infections. Although the 47-year-old man is being treated as the first case in the chain, it is not yet clear how he contracted the virus. 

According to health authorities, the infected couple has had an “endless amount of contact” with other people over the past 10 to 14 days. Of particular concern is the fact that the man visited a Carnival event in Gangelt on February 15. As a precaution, the approximately 300 other people who attended the event have been urged to report to authorities. Along with their families, they will have to go into domestic quarantine for 14 days. 

In Baden-Württemberg, health authorities are keeping an eye on the families, friends and colleagues of the four people who have so far contracted the virus. An infected soldier who was stationed at Cologne Wahn military airport is also being kept under close surveillance at a hospital in Rhineland-Palatinate. 

Authorities seeking anyone who had contact with infected couple

According to the authorities, all of the cases in North Rhine-Westphalia are connected. The Bundeswehr confirmed that the infected soldier had contact with the couple at the Gengelt carnival event. The NRW Ministry of Health said that it was now crucial to find everyone who had been in contact with the infected. 

However, according to NRW Minister of Health Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU), there is no reason to quarantine entire cities for the time being. “I don’t see that yet,” he said. “Ultimately, I don’t think that’s the right thing to do, either."

Instead, he said that steps to prevent the virus from spreading have to be readjusted every day. To support this, his ministry is joining forces with employees from the Federal Ministry of Health and the Robert Koch Institute.

Crisis team set up in Heinsberg

In Heinsberg, where the population is around 250.000, a crisis team of 100 employees will start work on Thursday morning. Kindergartens and schools in this area will remain closed for the time being. Public proceedings were also suspended in the district courts of Erkelenz, Geilenkirchen and Heinsberg. 

Over the course of the day, authorities also expect numerous other test results from people who had contact with the couple, including the couple’s own children, the children who attended the daycare facility where the woman worked, and participants at the Carnival event. Depending on the results of these tests, authorities would then decide whether home quarantine would be ordered for other groups of people. 

These measures are intended to control the spread of the coronavirus, after 10 new cases were reported in the space of just 48 hours. These are the first cases of coronavirus in western Germany, and the first since the virus was initially detected in Bavaria in January.