Are emptying a leading Public Health institute says that is bringing results and good news for transfer she has tested negative for the virus after going to self quarantine and pressure building on the Tokyo Olympics the japanese Prime Minister acknowledging for the 1st time that the summer games may be postponed as canada and australia say they will not send teams. Im good to have you with us the head of the World Health Organization says the 1000 virus is out running efforts to contain it. Told a virtual News Conference that cases of the infection or accelerating more than 15000 people globally have died of the infection lets take a listen to what the head of the w. H. O. Had to say. More than 300000 cases of corbet 9000 have now been reported to doubly. From almost every country in the world thats heartbreaking the pun demick is accelerating it took 67 days from the 1st reported case to reach the 1st 100000 cases 11 days for the 2nd 100000 cases just 4 days for this. 100000 cases of the head of the w. H. O. Added that measures such as social distancing and aggressive testing can still change the trajectory of the pandemic here in germany the countrys leading Public Health institution the robert costa institute says it has detected the 1st signs that the rise in corona virus cases might be leveling off and concerns that chancellor merkel may have caught the virus for they have been dispelled at least for now. Tourist magnets like the Brandenburg Gate should be buzzing with locals and visitors but lockdown measures mean people are after those only for essential reasons like going to work shopping or walking the dog. But germanys robert costa institute says theres reason to be cautiously optimistic that the measures are working. For. The indian 2000 we are seeing signs that the exponential growth curve is flattening off slightly but i will only be able to confirm this trend definitively on wednesday. With kind of a but i am optimistic that the measures are already having an effect which is very early because theyve only been in place for a week. Fondue. Scenes like these from just last week i think of the past for now anyway chancellor merkel is in quarantine at home shes been tested after contact with an infected doctor that test came back negative but shell be tested regularly in the coming days meanwhile shes tele working finance minister all of scholtz will be covering some of her duties. The chancellor has asked me to speak for her in the ponders tag on wednesday and we will manage this. However i believe that this is a very important sign that this infection can hit every one of us we are very vulnerable as human beings and you know one is protected from this. Just after todays virtual Cabinet Meeting the government announced a further Financial Aid package worth 156000000000. 00 euros its a break with germanys rules on strict budgetary discipline but extraordinary times require extraordinary measures. Or im joined now by martin stories of iraq the way for the interdisciplinary medicine in. We have heard the head of germanys center for Disease Control saying that the exponential growth curve of positive kings is appears to be slowing what do you make of that is that good news. Yes in the 1st it is a good news as he already said that he can confirm it and that it is at least on a wednesday and i totally agree with that. Its the 1st day of the weekend so we are not on a percent sure if we have a complete you of all the data from from the different parts of germany so i would be cautious to be too optimistic at this time point germany has had a remarkably low mortality rate compared to other countries despite the relatively high number of confirmed cases of the we have a basically the same number here in germany as you do in the United States confirmed cases but there are many more deaths in the us how do you explain that. Depends on how we tested in germany we test a lot of people and we do only test. People and hospitals are and sedation of intensive care units im so we might have. Overview of the epidemic and and see the relation between symptomatic patients and more severe patients and that might be a reason why we see less that people in germany than compared to other countries we also heard today from the head of the w. H. O. That the number of infections worldwide continues to exhilarate that is not good news in what does it tell us about the time horizon in terms of ending this pandemic. Very very good question and we heard that we need at least 60 to 70 percent of the infect it to get the socalled hard immunity to stop or to slow down or to stop even the pandemic i think we have fall away from from that number so. I guess that these. Be with us at least in summer next winter and at least in the next year. All right for all ages martin story joining us tonight from frankfurt thank you. Or here are some more of the latest developments on the global kobe 1000 pandemic for the 2nd straight day italy has posted figures suggesting the spread of the virus in the country is slowing down 601 new cases were reported on monday after 651 on sunday and 793 on saturday italy is europes hardest hit country u. N. Secretary general antonio has called for an immediate global ceasefire now thats to protect Vulnerable People in conflict zones from the ravages of the virus and austria is mobilizing its military reservists for the 1st time since the 2nd world war to help with Food Supplies medical support and Police Operations its becoming increasingly likely that the Tokyo Olympics due to take place in july will be postponed because of the coronavirus several qualifying events already canceled pressure has been growing on authorities to consider a delay today japans Prime Minister. Acknowledged that rescheduling the games may be the only feasible course of action for weeks and even japan knew the International Olympic committee was prepared to countenance it now Prime Minister shinzo abhi has tabled the possibility of postponement. If the circumstances make it impossible to hold the games as planned then we have no choice but to consider postponing the. I. O. C. President thomas back had been playing for time saying on sunday that a decision would be made within the next 4 weeks but pressure from athletes and associations has grown massively canada became the 1st country to announce that they would not send any athletes to the games shortly followed by australia where the local m. P. Committee is demanding a delay it gives certainty to the athletes a good segue into sports and thats the most important thing over the weekend in japan where public life is yet to be restricted as another countrys 50000 people gathered to catch a glimpse of the olympic flame the country is experiencing a growth in coronavirus case numbers and experts have been warning of the danger of a wave of infections similar to those seen in europe plans are now being made to scale back the Olympic Torch Relay due to start on thursday for the games themselves postponement is looking increasingly inevitable and to discuss the potential postponement of this years games im joined now by he is former basketball enough chief executive of the unions athletes germany is going to have you on the show let me get your opinion do you think that the olympics in tokyo should they go ahead as planned now this should. Be. And we know that a lot of athletes here in germany already qualified for the games so how is this uncertainty out was it affecting their training at the moment. Yes obviously very very difficult for the german athletes to tread properly you cannot speak of a professional progression that that is needed for a foreign event such as steel and against because the athletes they have to train alone they have to train outside to have to be very creative and creating situations at their homes in their cellars to find space and also the right equipment to train and and that is why also you know we cannot speak of a fair situation because throughout the world the decongestant for preparation for the games is so on equal and do you think no one is thats the main reason why its taking so long for a decision to be reached is it because of the economic and financial implications of canceling it or is it because of you know the desire to allow these games to take place for the athletes well i think for a while people probably expected this pandemic to go away or to recede or not to spread as far as it has now so i think there was this glimmer of hope but i think looking at the developments of the last 2 or 3 weeks it became increasingly clear that. Staging games without endangering Peoples Health would not be possible so so i think that the main consideration right now is about is about money its about the proper dress Economic Impact of not holding or holding the games and im sure that these are the considerations that the i. O. C. Is making right now we know that canada and australia theyve already announced that they will not be taking part in the games in july do you think that team germany is going to do the same and would that make a difference with the scenes decision. Even if this statement that i just quoted elio they pound it again are being postponed is not true i think. Germany is found to met to make. The choice pretty soon the German Olympic Federation here has announced a survey among all the athletes in the round to qualify and i think that the athlete opinion by that is mixed you know increasingly over the next couple days will speak out in favor of a postponement ok view on his temper with the latest for this discussion about postponing or even canceling the Olympic Games you want to thank you thank you for having me on here in europe singing from ones balcony has become a popular way to get through this season of self isolation people in germany have been playing and singing beethovens iconic 9th symphony take a listen. I think he. Just took it ok orchestra members are at home practicing without an audience so based on the italian role model where theyve been playing the ode to joy for several days we thought we do the same thing on sunday evening at 6 pm for us and for our neighbor has fallen off. Due. To no. Result because i really should have been conducting beethoven this week. And i cant do that. You get very very sad. About it and so to be a bit more positive just play some music and bring a little more happiness in life being missing millions followed it was. You know the unexpected sounds of this season up next coronavirus special ill be back at the top of the hour with more work world news hope to see you then. Stay informed. And. Language courses. Video audio. Anytime anywhere