Germany’s Virus Deaths Surpass 50,000 Since the Pandemic Started

BERLIN, GERMANY - JANUARY 07: A medical worker holds a nose swab sample after taking it from a young man for a Covid-19 test at the KitKat Club nightclub, which is currently otherwise closed due to the pandemic, during the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic on January 07, 2021 in Berlin, Germany. Germany's federal and state authorities have agreed on a plan to extend the current lockdown past January 10 at least until the end of the month and to also limit movements of people who live in regions with a 7-day infection rate of 200 per 100,000 or higher. Authorities are seeking to bring down daily infection and death rates that have remained stubbornly high despite the current lockdown, which has been in place since December 1. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

(Bloomberg) -- Germany’s coronavirus fatalities passed 50,000 on Thursday, underscoring the urgency facing Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government to slow the spread of the disease and guard against new mutations.

In Europe’s largest economy, 1,013 people have died since Wednesday morning, increasing the total number of deaths related to Covid-19 to 50,010, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Pandemic-related fatalities have doubled in the past month.

Merkel will address Germany’s fight against the disease at a news conference on Thursday, just two days after struggling to reach common ground with state leaders. The chancellor pushed for tougher curbs, but some state leaders resisted, wary of voter dissatisfaction ahead of regional and national elections in the coming months.

While confirmed cases of the disease have declined in recent days, the contagion rate remains more than double a government target, and authorities are concerned that fast-spreading strains could spark a surge like in Britain and Ireland.

Lockdown measures -- including closing non-essential stores and restricting movement in hard-hit areas -- on Tuesday were extended to Feb. 14. Authorities also agreed to make medical face masks obligatory in stores and on public transport, while companies will be required until March 15 to allow employees to work from home where possible.

On Tuesday, Merkel warned that Germany could impose border controls unless European neighbors synchronize measures to contain mutations.