BERLIN, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Germany registered 6,156 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 140 deaths over the past day, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced on Thursday.
The average number of cases per 100,000 inhabitants in Germany increased from 81 to 88 on Thursday although there were regional differences, according to the RKI, the federal government agency and research institute responsible for disease control and prevention.
On Wednesday, the German government extended the social contact restrictions to April 19 after a telephone conference between Chancellor Angela Merkel and the prime ministers of the federal states.
The dynamics of the spread of the coronavirus in Germany was still too high, the German government noted. "We must therefore continue to do everything we can to reduce the speed of infection and keep our healthcare system efficient."
With regard to the Easter festivities, the German government and federal state governments urged citizens to keep contact with other people except members of their own household to an "absolute minimum."
