160 quarantined after events banned under virus: Authorities

OSNABRUECK, GERMANY (DPA), 31 MAY, 2020 - Some 160 people have been placed under quarantine after several large events caused a new coronavirus outbreak in the city of Goettingen, city authorities said.

Thirty-five people tested positive for Covid-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus, after attending a series of private events banned under the German government’s coronavirusrelated restrictions. Of those, one person is in serious condition.

City authorities said that everyone who had come in contact with the 35 would be tested for Covid-19, irrespective of whether or not they are showing symptoms.

The news came one day after German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that her country had “passed” the coronavirus test so far, but added that some hard work still lay ahead.

Although Germany has had a large coronavirus caseload, the number of deaths has remained comparatively low. The number of new cases has dropped dramatically since Merkel’s government introduced a series of restrictions in March.