CNN: Two people have died of coronavirus in Germany — the first deaths in the country from the virus.

The deaths occurred Monday in the district of Heinsberg and the city of Essen, the health ministry of North Rhine-Westphalia told CNN.

In a statement to CNN, health minister Karl-Josef Laumann said he "was shocked to learn about the two deaths."

"My thoughts are with the relatives. I wish the families a lot of strength in this difficult time. The deaths show that we have to take the situation very seriously," he said.

On Sunday, a German national from Hamburg died while on vacation in Egypt.

About Germany's cases: There are 1,112 people in Germany who have tested positive for coronavirus, according to the Robert Koch Institute, the country's disease control agency.