The Confederation of Kurdistan Communities in Germany (KON-MED) issued a written statement today about the threat posed by coronavirus.

The statement said: "Germany is also affected by this virus, the social life of the society is severely restricted. Among the immigrant peoples living in Germany, the Kurds are the second most populous group. Based on the information we have received so far, there are more than 300 Kurds who have contracted the virus and more than 30 of them are in serious condition. Unfortunately 11 Kurdish people have died."

The statement added: "It is necessary to act responsibly to prevent this virus from spreading, as it is transmitted from person to person through close contact. It is very important for our people to stay away from public environments."

According to the latest information available to KON-MED, "11 Kurds have lost their life in Germany due to coronavirus infection. Four Kurds have lost their life in North Rhine-Westphalia, one person from Essen, one from Meckenheim, one from Hagen and one from Velbert. More than 100 Kurds from different parts of the same province were affected by the virus. We lost 3 lives in southern Germany yesterday, 1 in Frankfurt, 1 near Darmstadt and 3 a day in Saarbrücken. In addition, our friend from East Kurdistan, Canbaş Rostemi, who lives in Frankfurt and is also on the board of our FCDK-KAWA Federation, has contracted the virus and his condition is serious, while his family is in quarantine.

Hundreds of people in Bayern have contracted the virus, especially in a town near Nuremberg. Over 100 Kurds have contracted the virus and 3 people from Maras have died. We have also learned that dozens of Kurds have contracted the virus in Lower Saxony. Furthermore 1 Kurdistan died in Braunschweig. 30 Kurdish people living in a building of Halle Salle city of East Germany also contracted the virus."

Given the serious situation, KON-MED reminded that a "Crisis Coordination Desk has been established to "combat the epidemic we are exposed to and to produce solutions. The Desk counts on a healthcare team consisting of 13 doctors who are working to inform and advise people. Almost all of our DKTMs, councils and communes have also established a 'Coronavirus Crisis Coordination'. We once again reiterate the need for people to comply by the instructions given by the relevant authorities."