A woman walks at a park after snow in Berlin, capital of Germany, March 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)

Germany will foot the bill for treating novel coronavirus patients taken in from European Union (EU) neighbor countries as a gesture of goodwill, Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Monday.

Germany has been spared the worst of the novel coronavirus crisis seen in some of its hard-hit European neighbors. 

It has taken in patients - mainly from France and Italy - to relieve pressure on their overburdened healthcare systems. 

More than 200 seriously ill COVID-19 patients from other EU nations are currently in German intensive care units, at a cost of about 20 million euros ($21.7 million).

"Germany will cover the treatment costs of these patients, that is what we understand by European solidarity," Spahn said ahead of a meeting of ministers tackling the coronavirus crisis on Monday. 

"The willingness and capacity is there to admit more if necessary," he added.

The number of coronavirus deaths and infections in Germany has remained well below some of its neighbors. 

As of Monday, Europe's biggest economy had over 145,000 confirmed infections and 4,649 deaths, while Spain and Italy have reported more than 20,000 deaths each. France has close to 20,000 fatalities while Britain has more than 16,000. 

Germany had 28,000 intensive care beds before the start of the crisis and has since increased that number to 30,000.

Over 12,600 beds remained free on Sunday, according to the Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive and Emergency Medicine (DIVI).

Spahn's announcement came as many parts of Germany prepared to reopen some shops and schools on Monday after weeks of lockdown.

The health minister said Friday the pandemic was "under control."

AFP