this is dw news. live from berlin. germany's capital declared a coronavirus hotspot. they passed a key threshold but the thresh -- restrictions are already being introduced. also on the program, the second u.s. presidential debate is pushed back as donald trump project a counter and jo bonner says he will talk really to voters. this 77-year-old american poet

uses an unmistakable poetic vice. i am phil gayle. welcome to the program. berlin has been declared a coronavirus hotspot as a number of new cases passed a critical threshold. the german capital already announced the introduction of tougher restrictions. the country's disease control agency is also warning that the spread of coronavirus nationwide could become uncontrollable. if people failed to keep to hygiene and distancing wills. angela merkel says she does not want a repeat of what happened in spring when europe's largest economy went into lockdown. >> more than 4000 new infections in the past day. that is germany's highest rate since april when the company was

still in it. 80 million people -- if 80 million people cooperate, the chance of spreading will drop it. in recent days, authorities had tightened restrictions about high-risk areas such as the capital of berlin. from saturday, onward, the curfew will be imposed on bars and restaurants. restrictions alone won't suffice. >> the corporation of the population, especially in the coming weeks and months over autumn and winter is probably

one of the most important functions in the whole concept to intervene. >> the government has called on citizens to avoid this road. this was in a bid to curb the surge of new infections. phil: we can get more from salmon young. what are german authorities doing too sick -- slow the surge of infections? simon: the overall strategy remains the same. to observe the distancing rules and hygiene rules and when infections jump up, tougher measures and local lockdowns can be imposed. that is what is happening in munich and also what is happening in berlin. the german capital has jumped up above that key marker of 50 new

infections per 100 z -- 100,000 people in seven days. the berlin authorities have imposed the bands on bars -- bans an-- bans on bars. they imposed a ban on domestic travelers from those hotspot areas using hotels. there is concern about the development of corona here. chancellor merkel will be holding a meeting. this particular concern about the process in the big cities. >> what lessons have been learned about the -- since the start of the outbreak? >> everyone has learned a lot

the way of dealing with the virus has been much better understood. in hospitals, the patients with corona symptoms are separated with -- from those without. there has been a lot of talk about ventilation in recent days. there is a better understanding of the virus. there is also a development that only a minority of those that are infected with corona in germany are returning travelers. there is far more domestic generation. there is a new focus on parties and gatherings involving young people. phil: amid all this gloom, dw has been speaking with this doctor who told us thahat the cy 's medical infrastructure is well prepared. >> not even in springtime, hospital capacity and intensive care capacity was e even remotey

usused in germany.y. wewe are obviously well aware tt in some cities,s, italy, spspaid france, ththere was a shortage. inin germany,, there has neveren a a shortage. 3% of intensive care capacity is used for covid patients in berlin. phil: it looks like berlin is ready for a covid surge if it comes. simon: it really does. underlining those figures, there are less than 500 patients in intensive care. they could easily make another 12,000 beds for intensive care

patients. they don't want warnings about a worsening situation. what the health minister said again was that as long as everybody shows common sense and obeys the clear rules, there is a good chance of getting through the winter relatively unscathed. phil: thank you for that. a new rapid antigen test is raising hopes for quick self-diagnosis in germany. the test checks saliva for coronavirus and promises a result within 15 minutes without need for a lab or even a doctor. the government says it has secured a supply of 9 million devices per month and wants to increase that number but critics say they are far from reliable. and as dw found out, not widely

available. >> as a journalist, i mean a lot of people and some of them might be corona positive. today, i want to try out the new antigen test. hello. i would like to buy an antigen test. >> i'm afraid i can't sell you the test. it can only be given out to medical staff, you don't qualify. yoyou can't test yourself. you have to go to the doctors. >> this is the pocket containing the antigen quick test. >> there is a small sterile swab here. if you can't put your tongue down far enough, you can use a stick to help.

>> not that easy but for me, definitely doable. >> have you done both sides? >> yes. left and right. >> one line is negative. two means positive. it is pretty clear that the test is showing a negative result. everyone should have a test like this at home. >> it would be great for a mom whose child wakes up feeling sniffly. she is not sure if she can take the child to school or go to work yourself. if patients had access to a simple test they could do at home, that would ease the pressure on doctors and laboratories. it would help a lot ofeople decide what to do. >> critics say the testt is not

sufficiciently reliable. here is how laboratory and antigen test compare. when a person gets infected with covid-19, the virus load increases rapidly. irregular lab tests can detect the virus early on with very little virus load. does that mean that i could still be positive? i asked a lab expert. >> if it is not high enough to be detected by the test, that could result in false negative. >> the antigen test is achieved in a fast way for a lot of people but it is less sensitive than others. antigen test scanned -- can

replace lab tests but -- antigen test cannot replace lab tests but they can help in the fight against covid-19. >> hospitals in the french capital moved into emergency mode on thursday, canceling staff holidays and postponing nonessential operations. the number of deaths is significantly lower than the height of the pandemic. russian health authorities are recommending that people stayed home this weekend. on thursday, cases in the country shot up to levels closest to the peak earlier this year. let's take a look at some of the other stories making news around the world. clashes have broken out in indonesia's capital, jakarta. the controversial jobs s creatin lobe was approved by parliament

on monday.y. demonstrators sasay it undermins workers rights. >> forcing hundreds of people out of the homes. the blaze is believed to have started on the 12th floor and quickly engulfed the building in flames. they have sold and a story -- this historic cathedral. more than 3030 p people have did since the start of the conflict. the u.s., russia and france have called for peace talks and an end to the violence. next week's u.s. presidential debate looks to be postponed when donald trump seemed to refuse to take part in a ritual

-- virtual debate. he is going to hold a rally instead. let's go to our dw correspondent in washington for more. welcome. with all of this uncertainty around the president's health, what role is mike pence going to play in the final weeks of the campaign? >> he is going to play a significant role. but he is also dealing with a boss that is itching to get back into the game. he wants to get back on the campaign trail. he wants to be covid-19 free so that he can engage in the last few weeks of what is supposed to be crunch time for the trump campaign as well as f for the biting camampaign. yes, the vice presisident will

engage in more stump speeches and more valleys of various form. maybe not the big ones. maybe they will tone them down. whatever they can come up with in the next few weeks to o have mr. biden do what we -- what he will d do. we all know that the president does not allow anybody to steal the show from him. he will be back one way or another. phil: there is a growing controversy online about an image snapped of the vice president celebrating after his debate against kamala harris. what is going on there? >> it was a picture taken apparently after the debate last night. itit shows thehe vice presidentd scott walker, the former governor of wisconsin, wisconsin is now the battle state.

there are a few other high-ranking gop supporters. the key is all without a mask. i have to say that according to cdc guidelines, the vice president should not have even been at the debate with kamala harris. they had the plexiglas and 12 feet apart or 12 feet and three inches apart from each other. this was all because even the vice president tested negative so far for covid-19. he was exposed to donald trump and others that are positive. as you can see, this vice president and this administration does not really care for themselves to wear masks. not even after the president, commander-in-chief, president of the united states is covid-19 positive.

phil: thank you. to new york now where small businesses are weathering tough economic conditions as result of the pandemic. many new yorkers are feeling the pinch. some are worried for the dire economic situation they're facing. >> fifth avenue, a symbol of new york's prosperity looks abandoned. big retail chains are considering giving up. it is just not worth it. restaurants and smallll stores e struggling to survive. there are more and more homeless people on the streets. the job is no longer worthwhile for yellow cabs either. only about a quarter of the taxis are still on the street. victor is behind the wheel for the first time in five months. he even thought about quitting his yellow cab entirely. >> many of us are not working

right now. most of us are not working. if someone is coming back to work, they usually -- i know for a fact they are working 14 or 16 hours every day to make ends meet. >> jenny's toy store was closed for 2.5 months. sales have been drastically down since she reopened. way too little to cover her her rent is rent. jenny has very big political opinions. she is a fan of kamala harris and she blames mismanagement of the coronavirus epidemic by trump for the economic crisis but what if trump is reelected? >> i don't know. it is a really scary thought. we will have a revolution i think. i hope. >> some of the office towers

downtown have only 10% occupancy. more and more companies are cutting back on office space. right now, 26 percent more vacancies in the residential market since last year. prices are down 10-15%. even in prime locations like central park. realtor, kathy is doing big business. at $3000, this department -- apartment is a real bargain. >> if you believe in the long-term value of new york city, it may be a rough couple of years but if you're going to hold it for five or 10 years, you will do veryry well. >> business is good for the ridge but it means disaster for people who were already having a hard time before the pandemic. new york would not be new york if it could be beaten that easy. >> i think this coronavirus is not going to stop new yorkers. new york city will will -- will

live its glory again. >> i am a new yorker. we don't give up. we don't. we are new york tough. >> despite everything, the spirit of new york, metropolis the coronavirus really went to town on seems unbroken. >> lewis has been awarded the 2020 nobel prize for literature. the swedish nobel academy appraised what they call her unmistakable poetic voice. she is a professional of english literature at yale university. there are several scandals lent toto the premier literary award. >> you can spend a long time trying to find a book of poetry by louisise gluck. only one was available. the author is currently not published at all in germany. the 77-year-old is an established figure in the u.s.. in 2016, she received the

national humanities medal prpresented by barack obama. she is an adjunct professor who has taught at yale university since 2001. she was not considered a nobel prize favorite. her poetic voice is very characteristic. the first person narrator and her poems would like to be understood. it is both passionate and uncompromising. there is also a great deal of humor and wit in her poetry. many literary experts believe the swedish academy made a good choice. gluck is an important poet who has cultivated a devoted following. here in sweden as well. alththough she is stillll an insider, she is definitely a poet who deserves a larger audience. after last year's scandal concerning allegations of sexual misconduct and the choice of

peter for the literature award, this year's selection is less controversial. the group wanted to focus attention on literature again. >> an american poet and writer. she studied with luis at boston university and joins us in romania. walking to dw. what went through your mind when you heard that luis -- l lsisise gluck hadad won? >> sururprise and joy. pullllets -- poets around the world are silly ready. we love this win. phil: this seems to o have taken quite a number of people by surprise. whwhy do you thinknk that isis? >> i don't have the answer to that. everybody i know was surprised. i think with poetry, for literature, we have a different word, poets.

we have to be poets and writers if we are writing more than poetry. whwhen we are included i in the world of prose literature, i don't know the answer. we are jusust really exexcited d surprised. >> for those of us who are not familiar with louise gluck's work, describe her style. >> she is the only poeoet that i can think k of who c can use sentimental languguage without being sentimental. her poetry has thihis quiet, fierce precision. its sensitivity r really covers the whole spectrum of humid experience. she hasasuite a r range. she is a poet's poet. phil: what dodoes that meanan? >> she is a poet whosose work ky poets wrote -- poets admire.

everybody is excited. >> you knew her personally. what was that like? >> incredible.e. her whole life is dedicated to poetry and the teaching of poetry. for instance, i have a six line poem i worked on for seveveral months, just trying to figure out the order of the linebreaks. not even changing the words to get it visually just right. she is incredibly patient. she w wants evevery poem s she s at, eveverytudent shehe has, she put her all l into it. she wants evevery poem toto be e best poem itit can be. it is a rare thing to have that kind of dedication from your professor as a student. phil: we thank you for sharing that with us. to sports. friday is a big day for formula to's top driver, nick schumacher

-- formula 2's top driver, nick schumacher. he is tracing the footsteps of his father, racing legend, michael. the elder schumacher 17 will titles -- won seven world titles but was tragically injured in a skiing accident and is recovering. >> if racing is in the blood, nick schumacher could be on his way to becoming an of f f1 forma 1's great's. >> i want to be as prepared as possible. >> being prepared has been a long and arduous process on racecourses small and big in the same way that it was for mick's father. the cards led to formula 4 for

nick. his father took a similar path. success built upon success for the younger schumacher. the success is built up for his dad who quickly became one of the best-known athletes around. at age 22, michael schumacher drove his first season of formula one. when mickey turns 22, many protectt he will drive his first season in f1. >> be compared to my father was never a problem for me. it is pretty simple. being compared to the best driver in f1 history is the goal. >> his rise toward formula one has been bolstered by the academy of the ferrari racing team. the same team for which his father won five of his seven world titles. >> the first impressions i had from for ari were so hard, welcoming me in the family.

that was always part of my family. >> his fans want him to move his career forward quickly. the younger schumacher, a bit like -- unlike his father before him is inclined to take it slow. even when moving in the fastest of the world's >> fast lanes. >>counting is lucky -- fastest of the world's fast lanes. phil: this close call was captured by a dronone. former proro surfer,r, matt wilkinson is seen pedaling on hiss surfboard.. a shar strtrikes. wiwilkinson lateter saiaid he ha splash butut did notot realize l he was back unsure how narrowly he had escaped becoming the 20th shargh attack with him in australia this year. just a reminder of our top stories this hour. dermanan's capitall has been designated a coronavirus

hotspot. berlin has recorded more than 50 cases of coronavirus per 100,000 people. restrictions are already being introduced. donald trump has rejected plans for virtual second debate with rival joe biden. saying that virtual is not acceptable. but his campaign said he would take questions directly from voters instead. there are calls for debates to be rescheduled. this is dw news from berlin. i will have more on the day's news in the day -- on the day, next.

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