a hopeful message from Germany
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/06/...odule=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage#link-4a73a809
Germany was a leader in the West in taking on the pandemic, and then a leader in the gradual, calibrated restarting of public life. Chancellor Angela Merkel had a hopeful message for the nation on Wednesday: It’s working.
Ms. Merkel announced the second major phase of lifting Germany’s lockdown, a milestone she said was made possible by the success the country has had in lifting some restrictions without allowing a resurgence of the virus. In that time, new infections have actually declined.
In the next few days, she said, schools, day care centers, stores and restaurants will be allowed to reopen, and hotels will follow by the end of the month.
But even as Germany reopens, things will remain far from normal. Students will attend school in staggered shifts. Social distancing in public will remain mandatory, as will mask-wearing in some places.
“We must be aware that we are still at the start of the pandemic and will continue to have to deal with the virus for a long time,” Ms. Merkel said.