I think 2 threads ago @georgesegg asked why the German stats were so high. I live in NRW, with the highest rate if infection. Bavaria was first, with transmission in a car parts company visited by a colleague from China, but they identified that straight away and traced the chain and isolated contact persons and teams.
In NordRhein WestFalen, 60 miles from Cologne, in Heinsberg, a man and his wife got infected. patient zero hasn’t been found and the search has been given up on. This couple (wife is a nursery teacher and infected a few children) despite their symptoms, both went to a large, semi formal Carneval “Sitzung”. Carneval is massive in this (Catholic) regions, it is bugger than Xmas. People visit several large and expensive seated sessions, hot and close proximity. Everyone from that session was quarantined, local schools and nurseries were closed for from early Feb, I think they still are. But people from Heinsberg work in Cologne and Düsseldorf and cases have been popping up making the stats for the area huge.
The official response has been pretty good - without being draconian - of course more can be done and will need to be. An epidemic has been declared by Jens Spahn the national health minister, they have sought to reassure people, set up a rapid response centre in Düsseldorf and whoever can work from home, does. No nonsense regarding IT system incapacity. German employment law is pretty good and you wouldn’t be sacked for staying home if you were sick. You can’t easily fire people anyway. The state encourages people to not travel the to affected areas, to work from home, and 2 years ago advised a basic minimal stockpiling list. Aldi and Lidl were wiped on the first day but they are masters of logistics and the shops have assured people that there is enough food. Schools are closed as soon as there is a single case, quarantine isnt policed but there is a EUR450K fine for breaking it. Hope Germany and everywhere keeps on managing as things inevitably get worse.