▁until ▁ 2 3 ▁March . ▁ ▁Italy ▁has ▁several ▁times ▁fewer ▁hospital ▁b eds ▁for ▁int ensive ▁resp ir atory ▁care ▁than ▁Germany . ▁While ▁Italy ▁and ▁Spain ▁ran ▁out ▁of ▁b eds , ▁German ▁hosp it als ▁still ▁had ▁free ▁capacity . ▁The ▁number ▁of ▁b eds , ▁protect ive ▁g ear ▁and ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁medical ▁personnel ▁can ▁become ▁bott l ene cks ▁for ▁providing ▁ade qu ate ▁care . ▁However , ▁as ▁of ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁March , ▁it ▁was ▁" to o ▁early ▁to ▁say ▁whether ▁Germany ▁is ▁better ▁med ically ▁prepared ▁for ▁the ▁COVID - 1 9 ▁pan demic ▁than ▁other ▁countries ". ▁ ▁Daily ▁reported ▁death ▁to ll s ▁increased ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁April ; ▁the ▁Robert - K och - Institut ▁attributed ▁this ▁to ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁growing ▁number ▁of ▁out break s ▁in ▁care ▁homes , ▁whose ▁elder ly ▁populations ▁were ▁particularly ▁vulner able . ▁ ▁Government ▁re actions ▁ ▁January ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 2 ▁January ▁ 2 0 2 0 , ▁the ▁German ▁government ▁considered ▁the ▁spread ▁of ▁COVID - 1 9 ▁as ▁a ▁" very ▁low ▁health ▁risk " ▁for ▁Germ ans ▁and ▁the ▁virus ▁in ▁general ▁as ▁" far ▁less ▁dangerous " ▁than ▁S AR S . ▁New ▁travel ▁advis ories ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁necessary . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 7 ▁January , ▁after ▁the ▁first ▁in fe ctions ▁in ▁Germany , ▁the ▁government ▁continued ▁to ▁regard ▁the ▁probability ▁of ▁a ▁spread ▁as ▁" very