Germany's coronavirus death toll surpasses 6,000

More than 6,000 people have now died of Covid-19-related symptoms in Germany, the country's center for disease control, the Robert Koch Institute, said today.

At least 202 people died in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 6,115.

The country is seen as one of the most successful in dealing with the pandemic because it has managed to keep its death toll relatively low in relation to confirmed cases.

The total number of confirmed infections now stands at 157,641, while around 120,400 people have recovered.

Virus reproduction rates: Germany also managed to slow down the reproduction rate of infections to 0.9 after it rose to 1 on Tuesday.

That means every person infected in Germany on average is infecting less than one other person and the virus is being pushed back. 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has previously warned that if the number -- also known as the R0 value -- rises above 1, the country’s health system would eventually be overwhelmed. 

Face masks: The new numbers come after the city state of Berlin became the final jurisdiction in Germany to make wearing face coverings in stores mandatory.

Avoiding a new surge: Merkel and top virologists have warned the country risks a new spike in infections if physical distancing measured are relaxed too much.