Berlin, Apr 17, 2020, SPA -- The outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Germany is now "manageable" thanks to the measures put in place to contain the virus' spread, Health Minister Jens Spahn says. The decision by the German government and the federal states to apply the "emergency brake" in mid-March when the virus was spreading rapidly was "successful," according to the minister. "The infection numbers have fallen significantly, especially the relative increases from day to day," he says, noting also that since April 12, more people have been recovering from the disease than becoming infected. The president of the government's agency for disease control and prevention, the Robert Koch Institute, likewise spoke of a "really good interim result." But Lothar Wieler also warns that this week has seen the largest increase in the number of deaths to date. --SPA 13:51 LOCAL TIME 10:51 GMT 0005 www.spa.gov.sa/w1308660