Germany to reopen all shops, schools after recording 'no new wave of infection'

After weeks of lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, Germany is now reportedly planning to reopen shops and schools to slowly ease into normalcy. According to media reports, the government has chalked out a draft agreement aimed at bolder reopening steps after recording no new wave of infection. Until now, only those students facing exams were allowed to attend class but the new plan will allow kindergartens as well as primary schools to reopen from next week.

With the declined in the number of coronavirus cases, Germany had introduced initial steps on April 20 allowing the states to ease social distancing measures and stringent restrictions with an eye at the economy. The states were asking for further easing of restriction but German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticised the discussions as the country still had a significant number of active coronavirus cases.

According to local media reports, Merkel expressed her frustration over “discussion orgies” in some region that risked higher rates of COVID-19 infections. Merkel feared that the progress achieved in the fight against coronavirus could be reversed due to further easing the measures and lax social distancing as some retail shops have started reopening.

Read: German Chancellor Angela Merkel Calls For International Cooperation In Search For Vaccine

Plunged into recession

The discussions over the reopening gained momentum after the economy ministry announced that the country plunged into recession in March and is expected to last until the middle of the year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy said in its report that several factors including the collapse of global demand, interruption in supply chains, changes in consumer behaviour, and uncertainty among investors are having a massive impact on the economy.

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According to the ministry, economic performance has slumped in the first quarter and the trend is likely to continue in April. The government expects the economic recovery in the second half of the year after the COVID-19 restrictions are eased. The ministry noted that production and sales in the industry had recovered at the beginning of the year but a “massive demand and supply shocks.

Germany has reported over 167,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus with nearly 7,000 deaths due to the infection so far. As per the latest report, over 3.7 million coronavirus cases have been confirmed worldwide with over 258,000 deaths, overwhelming the health care facilities across the globe.

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(Image: AP)