People wait outside a newly opened coronavirus disease clearing up center in Berlin, Germany, March 9, 2020. (Photo: CGTN)

BERLIN, April 15 (Xinhua) -- German border controls which were introduced as a measure in the coronavirus crisis would be extended by 20 days until May 4, Germany's Ministry of the Interior (BMI) announced on Wednesday.

Extending border controls would further reduce the risk of infection with COVID-19 by "interrupting infection chains," BMI noted.

The ministry stressed that the controls were only temporary.

A notification letter about the extension was sent to the European Commission and the interior ministers of the European Union (EU) states in which German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer supported extending the restrictions on entries to the EU from third countries.

Germany would implement the EU entry restrictions from citizens of third countries until May 15, according to BMI.

Besides travel restrictions and border controls due to the coronavirus, Seehofer also informed the EU side that the controls at the German-Austrian land border had been extended by six months for "migration and security policy reasons."

BMI noted that this measure was "necessary due to the continuing highly fragile situation at the border between Turkey and Greece and the continuing illegal migration potential on the Balkan route."