Merkel says Germany can afford economic relief amid coronavirus pandemic

Chancellor Angela Merkel on August 28 said that Germany can afford all the measures agreed to help boost the economy that has been hit hard by the novel coronavirus. According to reports by Associated Press, the Chancellor cautioned that the coronavirus crisis would make life more difficult in the coming months than it has been over the summer as she asked Germans to take the threat seriously. Germany’s response to battling the novel coronavirus is considered to be successful. However, like other European countries, there has been a major surge in cases.

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Merkel warns its citizens regarding the novel coronavirus

AP quoted Merkel saying, “We have to expect that some things will be even more difficult in the coming months than in the summer”. Merkel said that she had three priorities - ensuring that children can continue to access education despite the pandemic, ensuring economic revival and maintaining togetherness in tough times when the entire society has been hit by a pandemic. When asked about the upcoming Presidential elections in the United States, she said that she would work with "every elected president of the United States of America".

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On August 26, German Health Minister Jens Spahn reportedly said that the country will end its current mandatory virus testing for travellers returning from foreign risk areas and will focus its testing strategy on people with symptoms or possible exposure to COVID-19 instead. AP quoted him saying, “With the end of the vacation period ... this risk is going down again. We are therefore testing patients with symptoms and with contact to COVID-19 patients after the end of the travel season”. 

Read: Focused On Pandemic, Merkel Has No Time For Retirement Plans

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(Image Credits: AP)