Fears ‘invincible’ German youths are causing Covid-19 to spread beyond control

Germany fears coronavirus is spiralling out of control in the country, with a six-month high in new cases blamed on young people “who think they are invincible”.

The warning comes after Berlin imposed a closing time on its nightlife for the first time in nearly 70 years.

New coronavirus cases rose by 4,068 in the past 24 hours – the highest daily increase since early April.

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany’s main public health body, warned the disease was on the verge of “spreading uncontrollably”.

It threatens to taint Germany’s image as a world leader in combating coronavirus.

The institute's president Lothar Wieler warned cases were at risk of more than doubling. It was a "fallacy" to believe the virus was harmless, he said.

“We don’t know how the situation will develop in Germany in the coming weeks,” he said.

“It’s possible that we will reach more than 10,000 cases a day.

“It’s possible that the virus will spread uncontrollably. But I hope it doesn’t.”

German health minister Jens Spahn blamed the surge on young people refusing to observe social distancing.

He said: “It’s above all the younger people who are getting infected at the moment - because they’re having parties, because they’re travelling, because they think they’re invincible. But they’re not.”

The rate of infection is rising in almost all regions across Germany but there is particular concern about Berlin.

From Saturday, all bars and restaurants in the city must close between 11pm and 6am.

In Spain, a Madrid court on Thursday struck down a government order imposing partial lockdown on the city after ruling the restrictions infringed on “fundamental rights”.

Under the health ministry's order, authorities barred residents from leaving Madrid without a valid reason.

But local authorities opposed the order, saying it would ravage the region's economy, also arguing that the ministry had no power to impose such curbs regionally.

The Madrid regional court called the restrictions "interference by public authorities in citizens' fundamental rights without the legal mandate to support it".

In an initial reaction from the government - which can appeal the ruling - Spanish health minister Salvador Illa said he had not yet had time to study it.

He said: “We do not care much about anything but citizens' health.”

In France, several cities were at risk of falling under tighter restrictions after a record rise in daily infections.

On Tuesday, Paris shut all cafes, bars and restaurants for two weeks, to slow the spread of the virus.

President Emmanuel Macron warned: “We are not in a normal situation and we won’t be for several months.

“In places where it is spreading too fast, especially where it is spreading among the elderly who are most at risk, and where there are more and more intensive care beds being occupied, we must proceed to more restrictions.”