German towns intensify virus restrictions

Authorities in Germany are ratcheting up restrictions on public life in light of rapidly increasing infections with the new coronavirus.

They have also called on people all over Germany to stay away and remain indoors to help slow the spread so the health systems can cope with the rise in cases.

Streets in the cities of Cologne and Dusseldorf were quiet but not deserted on Saturday, with North-Rhine Westphalia state being yet to impose unlike a full lockdown, as other states have done.

The number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in Germany rose above 20,000 on Saturday, with 70 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Germany's official Robert Koch Institute listed 16,662 case and 47 deaths, but officials have acknowledged that their count lags behind figures provided by regional health authorities.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus.

According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.