A healthcare worker observes a test kit after taking a sample from a driver to test for possible COVID-19 infection at a drive-through test station in Lennestadt, Germany, on March 26, 2020. Confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Germany increased by 4,954 within one day to 36,508, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced on Thursday. The number of deaths from COVID-19 increased from 149 to 198, according to RKI, the federal government agency and research institute responsible for disease control and prevention. (Photo by Ulrich Hufnagel/Xinhua)
BERLIN, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Germany increased by 4,954 within one day to 36,508, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced on Thursday.
The number of deaths from the new coronavirus increased from 149 to 198, according to RKI, the federal government agency and research institute responsible for disease control and prevention.
Almost two-thirds of German citizens are expecting further restrictions to their personal freedom in the fight against the coronavirus, according to a survey by the opinion research institute YouGov on behalf of the German Press Agency (dpa) published on Thursday.
On Sunday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced a limited curfew for entire Germany, which banned public gatherings of more than two people for an initial time of two weeks, with exceptions for people in the same household.
In Germany's most populous state, North-Rhine Westphalia, breaches of this rule are punishable with fines of up to 25,000 euros (around 27,400 U.S. dollars) in case of repeated offenses.
On Wednesday, RKI President Lothar Wieler said that "we are at the beginning of the epidemic" and that it would be "completely open how this epidemic will develop." But he was "optimistic" that the measures in Germany would work.
The next RKI press conference to inform about the disease and its spread in Germany is scheduled for Friday morning local time.
