Corona in Berlin: volunteer dies - 300 people gather in front of a mosque

The corona virus limits the lives of Berliners. In the capital, the number of fatalities and corona infections continues to rise. You can find an overview of all the news here.

• The Coronavirus * restricts people's lives in Berlin.
• The number of deaths and infected people is increasing - even a volunteer was killed.
• Meanwhile, a corona hospital is to be built.
• Here you will find the basic facts about the corona virus and the corona news from Germany. You can also find current case numbers in Germany as a map. The following recommendations for corona protective measures are currently available.

Update of April 6, 9.30 a.m .: Despite the ban on contact decided due to the corona pandemic , police said that around 300 people gathered in front of a mosque in Berlin on Friday.

The people followed a call to prayer by the association "Neuköllner Encounter Site" (NBS), as reported by the "Bild" newspaper. The mosque association had previously announced on Facebook that it would regularly broadcast an Islamic prayer at the same time as the bells ringing from the Christian community over loudspeakers. So they wanted to set together "a sign of cohesion in the Corona crisis" - however, there was one point in the message nothing extra. So it was not pointed out that nobody should appear on site and the call finally attracted 300 people to the mosque.

The imam, the public order office and the police officers had only partially succeeded in persuading people to keep the prescribed distance, as the police tweeted on Friday evening. "The prayer was ended prematurely in agreement with the Imam," it said. The officials of the mosque also assured the police via social media that they would once again point out that calls to prayer did not have to be followed by personal appearances and that the calls were immediately terminated when people gathered again.

About 300 people gathered in front of a mosque in # Neukölln today for prayer calls. The Imam, the OA @BerlinNkl & our colleague. only partially managed to persuade those present to keep their distance. The prayer was ended early in agreement with the Imam. # Covid19

Corona in Berlin: volunteer dies from Covid-19

Meanwhile, the situation in a Berlin nursing home is largely exacerbated.

After the death of two residents by Covid-19 , a volunteer also died after being infected with the Sars-CoV-2 . The managing director of DIakoniewerk Simeon announced this on Sunday at the request of bz-berlin.de . The man had previous illnesses and was over 80 years old. So far, 20 people have been infected in the nursing home.

Update from April 5, 11:21 pm: A large delivery of urgently needed protective masks from China arrived in Berlin on the weekend. "In the meantime, two million respirators and 300,000 protective coats have arrived in Berlin," wrote Mayor Michael Müller (SPD) of the short message service Twitter on Saturday evening.

A spokeswoman for the Senate also told Spiegel that the Bundeswehr had picked up the delivery from Leipzig / Halle Airport and brought it to the capital. Now the equipment has already been stored in Berlin and should be distributed to hospitals, police, nursing homes and other facilities from Monday . The delivery should not be sold or distributed to the population.

Previously, an alleged protective mask theft caused a stir in the Berlin Senate. According to the institution, a planned delivery of 200,000 FFP-2 protective masks for Berlin had been intercepted in Bangkok . On Friday, Berlin's Senator for the Interior, Andreas Geisel (SPD), then told the United States that he had confiscated the equipment. The Senate did not want to repeat this allegation at the weekend.

Corona in Berlin: Senator wants to use Bundeswehr for protective mask transport

Update of April 4, 8:46 p.m .: Berlin Senator for Health Dilek Kalayci (SPD) wants to use the Bundeswehr to transport protective masks from China to Germany. Kalayci told the “Berliner Morgenpost” (Sunday edition) that she had made a corresponding request for administrative assistance. "We are currently procuring new masks and are expecting a delivery from China," she said. "The problem is that we are not being transported to Berlin." She appealed to Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (CDU) to agree to the request. "The Bundeswehr would have to take care of the transport - and fly the protective clothing to Berlin."

Berlin is currently waiting for 400,000 protective masks from Asia. However, according to the Senate, a first batch of 200,000 masks has disappeared at the airport in the Thai capital Bangkok . The reason was unknown on Saturday, the Senate is investigating, it was said. The masks were intended for the Berlin police .

Corona in Berlin: police dissolve unauthorized demonstration

Update at 8:28 p.m .: As reported by the Berlin police via Twitter , around 40 people came to Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz in Berlin-Mitte on Saturday afternoon to demonstrate against a restriction of fundamental rights they feared in the Corona crisis.

After speaking personally to the police, some of the demonstrators left the square, but others were not clear. People who did not leave the place were briefly arrested, the police said. Two people resisted and one official was injured.

An unauthorized demonstration in Berlin-Mitte was dissolved by the police on Saturday afternoon.

© dpa / Jörg Carstensen

Update at 5.25 p.m .: In Berlin , the police register numerous violations of the currently valid regulations of the Senate to contain the coronavirus * . In the course of 24 hours, 79 administrative offenses and 30 criminal complaints were found during checks in the capital by Saturday morning. "It was the entire range," said a spokeswoman.

Corona in Berlin: 300 people gather in front of a mosque despite the ban on contact

Due to the sunny weather, many Berliners were out and about in the numerous parks in the metropolis - in most cases with a sufficient safety distance . The Berlin police are partially supported by helicopters during their operations. Nevertheless, there were long queues in front of bakeries and hardware stores. A contact ban has been in effect since March 23 and has been extended until April 19.

Saturday afternoon and sunny. Berliners move in the fresh air. Our 500 college. pay attention today to compliance with the Berlin-wide contact restrictions. It supports you with a view of parks and green spaces. # Covid19 # FlattenTheCurve

Meanwhile, there are doubts about RKI deaths. Are there really fewer corona deaths in Germany?

Corona in Berlin: 300 people gather in front of a mosque despite the ban on contact

Update at 2:12 p.m .: The Berlin Senate is currently working hard to clarify what exactly happened to a delivery of 200,000 protective masks from Asia that never arrived in the capital. "We are in the process of clarifying the details," said a spokesman for the internal administration on Saturday.

There is currently no information available on what exactly happened at the airport in the Thai capital Bangkok. Interior Senator Andreas Geisel (SPD) had announced on Friday that the masks intended for the Berlin police in Bangkok had been confiscated at the instigation of the United States. He therefore accused the US government of an "act of modern piracy" .

You can read the latest developments between US President Donald Trump and the corona virus here.

Corona in Berlin: 300 people gather in front of a mosque despite the ban on contact

Update at 12.18 p.m .: In Berlin, there was a significant violation of the ban on contact there on Friday. Around 300 Muslims gathered for prayer in the federal capital. The police finally had to intervene.

Update of April 4, 8:42 am: The day before it was announced that a delivery of 200,000 protective masks for the Berlin police had apparently been confiscated by the United States in Bangkok . The US company 3M has now announced that it has no information about this incident. "3M has no evidence to suggest that 3M products have been confiscated," said the press release on Friday evening (local time) from the company. And further: "3M has no documents about ordering respiratory masks from China for the Berlin police."

According to a report by t-online.de , the White House also denied corresponding allegations made by Berlin's Senator for the Interior, Andreas Geisel (SPD) . He had described the incident as an "act of modern piracy". According to information from the Berlin Tagesspiegel, the masks were ordered by the Berlin police from the US manufacturer 3M.

Corona in Berlin: delivery of protective masks for the Berlin police was "redirected"

The newspaper also reported that the protective masks ordered were produced in a company's 3M facility in China. The goods should then have been reloaded at the airport in Bangkok and flown to Germany by air. Instead, the delivery was brought from Bangkok to the United States . With reference to the Berlin police, the rbb also reported that the delivery had been "redirected" to the USA.

Update from April 3, 8:05 pm: The renowned Berlin Charité Clinic wants to start testing all employees for the corona virus * from next week. In this way, undetected infections of the staff are to be recognized, as board member Ulrich Frei announced on Friday. The high number of infections among hospital staff in many badly affected countries such as Spain are "a point that worries me". Frei was silent about the current number of Charité employees infected.

According to the Robert Koch Institute on Thursday, 2,300 infections have already been identified among medical staff in clinics and doctor's offices. Meanwhile, a new step against the corona virus is also planned in the Bavarian capital of Munich: the city will become the center for Germany's largest corona study *.

Read also: The German virologist Professor Drosten commented on a corona app and a possible drug.

Corona in Berlin: USA confiscates Berlin masks in Thailand - "modern piracy"

Update of April 3, 4:30 p.m .: Berlin has to forego the urgently needed delivery of 200,000 medical protective masks in the corona crisis. Reason: The United States confiscated the goods in Bangkok, as Berlin's Senator for the Interior Andreas Geisel (SPD) announced on Friday. The FFP-2 masks, which can protect against infection with the corona virus, were, according to him, intended for the police of the capital. Berlin ordered and paid for them from a US company. According to research by the “Tagesspiegel”, they were made in China, official information was not available.

Geisel criticized the United States' actions sharply. "We consider this an act of modern piracy, " he said. “This is not how you deal with transatlantic partners. Even in times of global crisis, there should be no wild west methods. ”The federal government must urge the United States to comply with international rules.

Corona in Berlin: USA is said to have intercepted Berlin mask delivery

Update from April 3, 2:03 pm: Respiratory masks are in demand as rarely due to the corona crisis . Like many other countries, Berlin has ordered FFP2 and FFP3 face masks in China, as the Tagesspiegel reports. But exactly this delivery is said to have been intercepted by the USA and diverted to the United States . This is what the day game from Berlin security circles claims to have learned. The manufacturer of the masks is said to be an American company with production headquarters in China .

But this is not the first case. French politicians made serious allegations against the United States on Thursday. Renaud Muselier, president of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, told BFMTV on Thursday that mask supplies destined for France had been purchased from another country on the tarmac of Chinese airports. When asked, Muselier confirmed that it was the United States .

In Bavaria, too, the number of corona cases that open in Bavaria's hospitals is increasing. Both in the intensive care units and overall. Siegfried Hasenbein, the managing director of the Bavarian Hospital Association (BKG), is now warning of a lack of protective equipment *. In North Rhine-Westphalia, a virologist wants to track down the number of unreported cases *.

Corona in Berlin: interior senator with drastic prediction - "will accompany us all year round"

Update from April 3, 12.17 p.m .: Berlin's Senator for the Interior, Andreas Geisel (SPD), assumes that the Corona crisis will continue to affect the whole year. A loosening of the so-called lockdown in April or May is possible, he said on Friday in the Berlin-Brandenburg radio . "But the restrictions, distance regulations, changes in our lifestyle - I'm afraid that will be with us all year round."

According to Geisel, one knows that this lockdown cannot be extended indefinitely. "However, it would not be serious to say that everything will end on April 19," said Geisel and further, "A serious assessment of the numbers is possible in mid-April." to reduce that we are not overloading the health system and preventing conditions like those in Spain or Italy . "

The federal and state governments had agreed on Wednesday to extend the existing strict contact restrictions at least until the end of the Easter vacation on April 19 . On Tuesday after Easter, Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and the state premiers want to reassess the situation.

Meanwhile, the North Rhine-Westphalian Minister of Health announced a new plan and raised the alarm about protective materials.

Corona in Berlin: drastic fines, ban on contacts extended

Update of April 3, 9:50 a.m .: Due to the spread of the corona virus, people in Berlin will have to live in the next two weeks with significant restrictions on their freedom of movement. The Senate extended the so-called contact ban , which has been in effect since March 23, as announced on Thursday until April 19, the German press agency learned. Initially, the regulation was limited to this Sunday.

In order to better punish violations of the rules, the Senate also decided on a catalog of fines . Although fines were already possible under the Infection Protection Act, details have now been specified more precisely.

Corona in Berlin: Up to € 10,000 fine possible

Anyone who violates the exit restrictions must pay up to 500 euros according to the new catalog of fines . The Governing Mayor Michael Müller (SPD) announced on Thursday evening after the decision in the Senate. Accordingly, a fine of 25 to 500 euros is payable if people put together in groups of more than two people and possibly oppose the requests of the police. "Anyone who leaves their apartment for no good reason has to pay a fine of between 10 and 100 euros," explained Müller.

The new catalog of fines for corona regulations also contains fines for companies, as Berlin.de reports. Accordingly, the prohibited opening of shops could be punished with a fine of up to 10,000 euros. Furthermore, failure to comply with hygiene measures could result in fines of up to € 2,500.

Meanwhile, statistics in Bavaria provide hope, as Merkur.de reports. Markus Söder, who is currently recording record values ​​in surveys, explains in a press conference how to proceed.

Corona in Berlin: The number of new infections is increasing rapidly

Update from April 2, 1:45 pm: So far, 2,993 people in Berlin have been shown to be infected with the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus . 17 people have died of coronavirus infection.

As the Berliner Morgenpost reported, Berlin's mayor Michael Müller (SPD) continued to ask for the patience of the Berliners. "There will be tough weeks ahead," he said. "I appeal to all Berliners to take the exit restrictions seriously." This also includes not visiting relatives. How quickly the situation could escalate was finally seen in neighboring countries.

The Berlin left-wing group is also considering innovations in the taxi industry, which was badly damaged by the Corona crisis. For example, they are considering using Berlin's taxis as a free shuttle service for systemically relevant professions. "We need a comprehensive solution for health workers, but also other systemically relevant professions," said transport spokesman Kristian Ronneburg.

The red-red-green coalition is considering using Berlin's taxis as a free shuttle service for systemically relevant professions. "We need a comprehensive solution for health workers, but also other systemically relevant professions," says @k_ronneburg.

In the meantime, the corona situation in Saxony continues to deteriorate. The number of deaths is increasing. An Italian Covid-19 patient also died.

Corona virus in Berlin: District mayor deliberately becomes infected

Update, 4.20 pm : Stephan von Dassel - Mayor of Berlin-Mitte has deliberately caught the coronavirus on his girlfriend (see below). The Green Party politician is now calling for a mask to be worn on public transport and supermarkets , reports the Tagesspiegel .

District Mayor Stephan von Dassel has deliberately become infected with Corona.

© picture alliance / dpa / Jörg Carstensen

Corona in Berlin: parks and green spaces close at the weekend?

The spring weather at the weekend, on the other hand, calls the police union (GdP) on the scene and appeals to the common sense of all Berliners. You should stick to the curfews. GdP head of state Norbert Cioma brought a drastic measure into discussion in a press release, since in his opinion fines would not have the immediate effect of preventing people from gathering together. "There is almost no alternative to completely closing parks and squares for public traffic," said Cioma.

An appeal to reason: stick to the guidelines, stay at home! #GdP advises that parks and squares be temporarily closed - Head of State Cioma in our PM: "Otherwise there will be a curfew at some point that no convinced democrat could seriously wish for" https://t.co/9VDYjWxoLD pic.twitter.com/B83EnvTpC6

Greens district mayor deliberately becomes infected - it got "more violent" than he thought

Update, 2.35 p.m .: The Mayor of the Berlin-Mitte district, Stephan von Dassel (Greens) has more or less deliberately infected with the corona virus .

"I was almost deliberately infected to immunize myself," he said on Wednesday in Berlin- Brandenburg radio. He therefore contracted his partner , with whom he lives.

In a domestic community , it was almost impossible not to get infected, he said. That's why he "made it conscious", said the Green politician . He thought that he was "a little indecent for three days after an infection and then I'm immune" - also to be healthy when parts of the administration get sick.

But it was "a bit more violent" than he thought. As a long-term goal, he mentioned that so many people immunize themselves "that the disease can no longer harm us".

Corona virus in Berlin.

© picture alliance / dpa / Christophe Gateau

Corona virus in Berlin: More and more infected - Berlin transport companies heavily criticized

Update from April 1, 12:48 p.m .: Almost 1,000 people in Berlin have now officially been infected with the corona virus. Since it is still important nationwide to comply with the ban on contacts, criticism of overcrowded subways in Berlin is still not subsiding. Now the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) is reacting, as the Berliner Morgenpost reports.

According to this, public transport in the morning rush hour has been increased by another 200 trips since Monday , and around 100 more trips have been included in the normal operating program in the afternoon .

Instead of a short fuse, have a lot of stamina And fresh ones too. pic.twitter.com/rn1rSP1UPy

However, as the BVG further explains, around 75 percent fewer passengers now use local public transport in Berlin. As the Berliner Morgenpost further reports, more performance is currently not possible. According to this, the sick leave at BVG is currently around 25 percent. "All the drivers we have drove today," quotes Morgenpost company spokeswoman Petra Nelken.

Coronavirus: Berlin Senate wants to extend exit restrictions

Update from March 31, 3:14 p.m .: Due to the ongoing corona crisis , the exit restrictions in Berlin , which are initially limited until next Sunday, will be extended . Vice-Mayor Klaus Lederer (left) announced this on Tuesday after the Senate meeting. The Senate agreed on the decision. The committee intends to decide on the extension this Thursday . At first the Bild newspaper reported about it.

Corona in Berlin: exit restrictions apply since March 23 - and are to be extended

Since March 23, all Berliners have had to “ stay in their home or regular accommodation” to slow the spread of the coronavirus *. However, there are some exceptions, such as visits to the doctor, shopping, going for a walk with the dog or sports and walks in the fresh air. This is allowed as long as no groups of more than two people form outdoors.

Meanwhile, the number of cases in Baden-Württemberg continues to increase.

Update of March 31, 2020, 11:25 a.m .: The number of people infected throughout Germany continues to rise, Berlin is also registering more and more positive people tested on Covid-19 . According to official information, around 2,600 people in Berlin are now infected with the corona virus *.

As the Berliner Morgenpost reports, almost 380 of these infected people would be treated in hospitals, 84 people were in intensive care units . As the newspaper continues to write, around 280 officials on Monday checked compliance with the strict measures.

Since March 14, 820 illegally opened objects have been closed by the police in Berlin, 825 violations have so far been found by the police in the capital.

Case numbers increase in Berlin - new penalties more drastic than in Bavaria?

Update of March 30, 9:57 p.m .: Because of the corona epidemic , a contact ban has been in effect in Berlin for more than a week. This is controlled by the police and there are dozens of reports every day. So far, however, the Senate has not yet been able to agree on a fine , although a draft has been under discussion for more than a week.

Interior Senator Andreas Giebel (SPD) now said on Monday that the Senate will debate a catalog of fines for violations of corona rules on Tuesday and may also decide to do so. According to the original draft, which is available in the Tagesspiegel, violations of the minimum distance in public spaces, for example, would in future be punished with 50 to 500 euros . 25 to 75 euros must be paid by anyone who cannot identify themselves despite having to show identification. And if someone stays outside of his apartment without a valid reason, he or she has to expect a fine of up to 500 euros.

Corona virus in Berlin: The catalog of fines provides for fines of up to 25,000 euros

The fines listed in the draft law are significantly higher if someone opens a store despite the ban . Anyone who opens a company that should actually be closed according to the current rules can expect a fine of up to 10,000 euros . In addition, operators of shops that are still open but do not adhere to the prescribed hygiene measures must pay a fine of up to 2500 euros .

In the event of recurrence , a fine of up to 25,000 euros should be possible - this is the maximum sum in the area of ​​administrative offenses stipulated in the Infection Protection Act. According to the draft, violations of assembly rights are also considered to be criminal offenses. Anyone caught at meetings or events “with three or more participants” receives a criminal complaint.

First report from March 30, 2020:

Berlin - The corona virus keeps Berlin in suspense. While public life is largely restricted, the number of people infected with corona * and deaths, like in the whole of Germany, is increasing.

Corona in Berlin: The current case numbers

As the Senate Department for Health, Nursing and Equal Opportunities announced in a press release on Sunday, 2,462 people in Berlin are currently infected with the corona virus *. Contact persons, the report goes on to say, are identified, contacted and isolated as part of a containment strategy. 312 people are currently in the hospital, 70 of whom are receiving intensive care treatment. So far, eleven people have died from the effects of the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus .

Corona hospital with 1,000 beds is to be built in Berlin

In the meantime, the Berlin Senate is planning to expand medical emergency care in view of the ongoing corona crisis, as was announced on March 17.

Health senator Dilek Kalayci (SPD) announced, among other things, the construction of an additional hospital with 1,000 beds for Covid-19 patients on the exhibition grounds. This should be done in cooperation with the Bundeswehr and other partners. She did not give an exact location and schedule. Now there is news.

Coronavirus in Berlin: schedule for the hospital is set

Project manager is the former president of the technical relief organization and long-time Berlin fire director, Albrecht Broemme . He had recently expressed optimism about the “Bild” newspaper that the hospital could possibly be up and running within a few weeks. "14 days of construction would be nice - like the Chinese," he said in mid-March. "But I think it will take a month."

In the program "Rbb-Spezial" on Sunday evening, Kalayci now said that the preparations are currently going quite well. "I think we can start in April / May," she continued. When could the spread of the virus be controlled and thus the ban on contact and other measures lifted? There is now a forecast by scientists from the universities of Hamburg and Mainz.

The new hospital for patients with Corona disease Covid-19 should only be used to avoid a real bottleneck. It is said to provide care for people with coronavirus * who have to be admitted to the hospital and emergency respiratory patients.

Meanwhile, the police had to work in large parts of Germany at the weekend because people violated the corona contact ban *, as reported by tz.de *. The corona situation is still explosive in NRW. There a man from the particularly affected district of Heinsberg spat on a policeman and shouted at him: "I have Corona!" In a Munich clinic, several Corona cases were found among patients and members of staff - a quarantine was imposed. *

* merkur.de and tz.de are part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network

List of rubric lists: © epd / Friedrich Stark