BERLIN (REUTERS, BLOOMBERG) - The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany has risen to 73,522 while 872 people have died of the disease, statistics from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Thursday (April 2).

Cases rose by 6,156 compared with the previous day while the death toll climbed by 140, the tally showed.

Germany has said it will extend a nationwide lockdown aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus for another two weeks until April 19.

A little over a week after banning gatherings of more than two people, the government continues to ask Germans to avoid contact with people outside their own households, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday.

"It's far too early to now begin considering loosening contact restrictions - we're still far from where we want to be," Dr Merkel said, adding that the government wants to revisit those measures after Easter.