>> this is dw news live from berlin. italy has overtaken china with the highest number of deaths from the coronavirus. seems unimaginable just a month ago. the army is helping to carry away the dead because hospitals are beyond capacity will stop americans urged not to travel abroad.

it comes as germany begins the biggest repatriation effort. 100,000 tourists and more flights. the new cocktail is flying off the shelves, but it is not intended for drinking. we will tell you why. our viewers on pbs in the united states all around the world, welcome. italy has reached a grim milestone, reporting more deaths than any other nation in the world including china. 3000, 409 people have now died in italy. the country has recorded more than 41,000 infections.

hospitals are overwhelmed as our next report shows. >> the city has run out a space to bury its dead. military trucks taking to nearby cities for burial. the coronavirus has hit the lombardi region like no other place. names of loss in love ones so the papers as the death t toll keeps climbing. officials are appealing for help. >> our health personnel, nurses and physicians are working around the clock, to fight these incredible situations. we do not know how long this will last. we are in desperate need of

nurses and physicians together with ventilators and protection. >> efforts to build a temporary hospital indndia center are undr way. it is told that 200 intensive care units will be ready by the month since. italy has also turned to the country where the virus originated. > the p pple will stay togetr and supporort each oer to overcome the hardship. i believe the expertsts will ler from each otother and make effos to subdue the outbreak. >> amid speculation that the lockdown could be extended for several more weeks, the times

are finding simple ways to lift their spirits. >> the death toll of new infections continues to climb. the curved they say is not being flattened. we asked if the country has a strategy for dealing w with thee outbreak at thiss point. >> thehe main strategy is this mantra that they are telling everyone stay at home. that is the only way they can limit the spread. the situation as we saw in the report earlier, but in general, it is on the brink. the president of the order of doctors describing the scenario asas apocalyptic.

the prime minister in an interview says they are looking at more stringent measures in terms of the lockdown, a complete block altogether. they are looking to ban all outdoor to these and stressing to people stay indoors. the interior ministry has revealed data that in the l last eight days, thehey have had to conduct millions of c controls d ththey are takaken to task, 53,0 people for violations, so they feel thehe seriousness i is not quite heading home, that even if you have no symptoms, you can spread the disease and that is why that message is being shouted out. >> the trump administration has already increases dire travel

warning for americans as the coronavirus pandemic worsens. the state department has issued a new alert urging americans not to travel abroad under any circumstances and they should arrange to return to the u.s. immediately unless you plan to remain overseas. previously, americans were told to reconsider international travel. for more now, let's go to our correspondent in washington. what more do we know? >> it is the highest for the worst, a level for visor he unprecedented at least in scale. americans are asked not to travel overseas, not even for most critical business. normally you get those advisories for hotspots when

things are not going to well, but on that skill it is pretty unprecedented and this is where we are, including there are tens of thousands of americans stranded around the world and they are encouraged to make their way home as soon as they can. >> do we have a number for how many americans that could be affected by this? >> no. we know a few cases which have made the headlines. there are hundreds of people stuck in countries like peru, morocco and guatemala because those countries closed their borders. those americans are absolutely stuffed. >> there have been comparisons

following the 9/11 attacks. have we ever seen anything like this before? what is no glamorizing is unprecedented and for the airline industry, they are complaining that everything is worse than 9/11. 9/11 was bad enough, but the impact it has on travel and the willingness of people to actually make one move or travel , let alone go abroad, the problems that creates for americans who maybe want to come home is unprececedented and the damage in millions of dollars for the markets is her rent this.

>> in germany, another sharp increase in new infections. confirmed cases were up to nearly 11,000. the military is not prepared to deal with this outbreak. thousands of reserve soldiers will be caught up in military hospitals and doctors could help treat patients with the virus. >> new berlin xmas center will soon house 1000 beds as a precautionary measure. regular hospitals are scaling up their intensive care capacity to

work in icu units. the german foreign office has announced a major operation to bring home german tourists stranded abroad due to the pandemic. it is estimated about 100,000 germans are weighted to the repatriated. many of them were left with little options than to stay put. >> arriving home, tourists returning from egypt. this was one of the last scheduled lights bringing passengers back to germany. for many, it was a short vacation in then borders everywhere were closed. >> there was chaos at the airport. some people were not on the list . with some luck, we were managed -- we managed to get a ticket.

>> about 100,000 germans are being brought home from around the world. they are returning to a country in suspended animation. it is just the first sign that everyday life has changed in the taxi drivers here knknow all abt it. >> we never saw anything like this. >> some wait for five hours without getting any business. it taxi driverers don't work, we don't learn a anythin >> in egypt alone, 30,000 germans are e iting for r their chanance to fly home and the berlin government is mobilizing 50 billion euros to make these flights possible. >> spain and italy have recorded

a sharp rise in the number of cases. spain's death toll stands at more than 760. both countries have introduced strict measures to stop the virus. >> a coughing fit left a lasting impression as parliament demanded emergency -- debated emergency coronavirus measures. this week's lockdown comes two months after the first case of the virus appeared in france and the government is facing harsh criticism. >> the former minister of health

, why did you not inform us of this? why did you not implement the nessus very measures? >> france's on day three of an imposed on down with citizens order to remain inside their homes. empty streets and france, empty plazas in spain, the second worst hit country in the eu. you cannot see their uniforms under the hazmat suits, but these are soldiers brought in under r the country's state of emergency. they are disinfecting transport hubs, places where people gather in the risk of transmission is higher. in london, also feared to be a virus hotspot, authorities are closing 40 stations. britain is also setting up a series of temporary morgues

around the country, he located in the worstaffected areas. it comes as people flock to supermarkets to stock -- stock up on supplies. >> it is probably the last time so we have two stopping trolleys -- we have two shopping trolleys . >> became yesterday and could not even get milk or broader. if they did not pananic, we woud not have all this. >> while there is no official lockdown in place, people are getting ready to lock themselves in. >> for more, i'm joined by a professor of public health and epidemiology here in berlin. it is good to have you on the

program. as a medical professional, do you think the current restrictions, are they necessary or are we overreacting in a a w? >> unfortunately they arare necessarar and we see e that in other countries and we will also face this in germany, so we really musust act now with very strong measures to bring the curve down. >> we have heard a lot that we have to act now, now is the time. world health organization has regularly talked about containment. is it possible to stop the spread o of the virus at thihi point or is it silyly too late?

>> the virus w willontinue. ththe thing we can modify is the speed. that has direct consequence on the health care system and what happens is you can see in italy, spain, france and other countries, this is happening to their countries as well. >> want to ask you about the death toll in germany, there has been a lot of talk about the low mortality rate. [inaudible] >> these n numbers are very difficult because various countries have surges. you test with symptoms and it is

costly or free and so the number of people are infected and it is difficult to prepare. the same is true for death of corona. i did not expect in germany there would be a substantially lower rate in infectious diseases. >> the australian prime minister said this is a once in a century viral pandemic. how does the new coronavirus compared to other pathogens? >> it is spspreading and d spreg wiwith certainin numbers. if youou are infnfected, y you e infefected by two or three othtr people which is higher and the

other problem is the time from when you arere infected to getet symptomsms is quite lonong. the rate of infection is really faster than other v viral d diss , so that is p part of the probm riright now is this peak that wl hit the health care system is hitting fast. >> we are still seeing people who are not abiding by these very strict measures. see people outside acting like it is a holiday. would you say the government will eventually have to enact some type of total l lockdown to ststop the virus? > unfortunately, itit iss exd that this will happen. someme people take t this serios

and othehers are still ignoring the situation. it is also quite bizarre. you can see the direct consequences so we need to understand this is a very severe situation and we all need to act now as a society or we will not be able to handle it. >> how to slow down the spread of the coronavirus, taiwan has managed to do just that, keeping its infection rates far below the neighboring countries despite its proximity to china, so what is taiwan doing right? >> surgical masks have become part of the uniforms since the coronavirus operate again. he was among the first doctors to treat patients back in

jajaary when t the virus f first spreread from china across t street. >> taiwan is expxperienced inn understanding chchina stop p wew what is reliable and winch -- when we should be skeptical. we must take more steps ahead of the crisis and use judgment. >> this is where he e ended up sleepiping, a dormitory next to the hospital set aside for medical staff. for taiwan, vigilance is thee treatment for the disease with no cure. >> it was hard to identify misisinformation at f first. i wawas scared t to spread thehe vivirus. i think this has to be a collaborative effort.

>> othther than medics and military, students and teachers are now banned frfrom travel. containing the virus is not only about order c control. communities have found themselves on the frontline. one of his duties is to take care of the daily needs such as delivering fresh food. >> we hope to make it easier for quarantine people to stay home. if anyone leaves the parking, -- department, he or shshwill be fined. >> individuals are under surveillance. telecom providers are cooperating to enablele people o

be attracted via their mobile phones. health officials believe technology helps contain concern and prevent panic. one example is the face mask system where people can place their order and check availability online. >> new t technology helps us to systemize policies in a transparent way. it helps build up a trust in government because they are well informed about the situation. >> taiwan's next step is to broaden its testing regiment. >> anyone e th overseas travel history, fever or symptoms is eligible for testing. according to research, this part of the virus canan be largely contained. we are trying to achieve that.

>> the island remains cononcernd about a massive potential outbreak. while waiting for a vaccine, government led containment is the only way anyone knows how to fight the virus. >> on top of self-isolation and social distancing, there are some simple hygiene guidelines hollow that can help stop the coronavirus from spreading. >> wash her hands with soap and water in do it often. keep going for 20 seconds, especially after being in a public space. alcohol and -- alcohol-based hand sanitizer's are a good substitute. throw away used tissues and don't use them twice. after blowing your nose,

coughing or sneezing, wash her hands. clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces everyday. this includes tables, desks, phones, keyboards and sinks. >> formula one postponing three additional grand prix's. that means the season will start in june that the earliest. they are on hold to ensure the health and safety of traveling staff. if you have tried to buy and sanitizer lately, people everywhere try to protect themselves from the coronavirus, hand sanitizer has become a commodity.

the main ingredient is alcohol. jin makers are trying to fill the gap stop the price gouging. >> jin and hand sanitizer now available at the same spot. it is all about alcohol. these people are specialists. jen is about 40% alcohol, hand sanitizer needs to be at least 60%. >> basically we are using the same ingredients, so you could say it is a very strong gin. we don't revenue and -- recommend anyone to drink it. we have sold a fraction of what is needed, so again, there are other distilleries that can do

this not just in ireland. >> across the atlantic, this distillery is doing the same thing. >> we have shifted focus and put 100% of our resources to making hand sanitizer for our community. >> the labels don't even have prices. after people sold and sanitizers for hundred of dollars, -- hundreds of dollars, the owner decided to give it away for free. >> w we want to provide hand sanitizer for anyone who needs it. >> in these days of price gouging, basic products to keep people safe.

>> third may be reason for cautious hope. china says it has registered no new cases since the first time the cases began. medical teams are now leaving and some people are back out on the streets, but itit remains largely on lockdown. after a short break, i will be back to take you through the day.

twenty four en france twenty four .com. hello and thank you for joining us here on our phones twenty four i'm delighteded to sousa in paris france has been in a state of locked down for over two days now