Merkel announces plans to reopen schools and shops in Germany

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: The Guardian

Conservative politicians vying for the leadership of Angela Merkel’s party argued over a timetable to exit the nationwide lockdown as the German chancellor announced plans to partially reopen schools and shops in the coming weeks.

Hailing latest figures indicating a slowing down of the infection rate as a “fragile intermediate success”, Merkel said on Wednesday evening that teaching at schools across the country would start again from 4 May, initially for students in their final years of primary or secondary school.

Hairdressing salons will also be allowed to reopen on 4 May if they take special steps to guarantee customers’ hygiene. Shops of up to 800 square metres in size, as well as bookshops, bike stores and car dealerships, will open again from this coming Monday.

Social distancing measures will remain in place until 3 May and large cultural events, such as concerts and beer festivals, will remain banned until the end of August.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/15/angela-merkel-announces-plans-reopen-schools-shops-germany-coronavirus-lockdown

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https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/germany/

Germany has done extensive testing, so their 'cases' numbers are probably far more reliable than many countries, and they are now around 2,000 a day, compared with peaks over 6,000 a day about 2 weeks ago. Their deaths are still varying a lot, though - April 8 333, April 10 129, but April 14 back up to 301.

[DENVERPOPS]

1. This will only serve to

help the Republicons to put pressure on Governor's across America, even though the difference between them and us is startling due to their quick action.....

[riversedge]

10. Most will not read past the headline. But Germany is demanding steps that businesses

must take to reopen. etc. etc.

[progressoid]

2. hmmm...what's the plan to keep the curve flat with everyone out and about?

[progree]

3. Everything about Germany coronavirus -- Worldometers

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/germany/

Good trends except though a sudden big one day spike on daily new deaths on April 14 (the last day shown)

Active cases on the last day shown, April 14, 61k, is down from the 73k April 6 peak.

Daily new cases (2138 on April 14) is about 1/3 of what it was at the peak.

All in all, I think the numbers are still kind of high for planning opening up 3 weeks from now.

[squirecam]

5. Yep

You can’t open up safely with 2000 new cases per day.

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. Germany averages over 100,000 tests per day

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52234061

If they can do 50 tests for each new case, they can do proper contact tracing. They may be able to stay ahead of the spread of the virus.

[squirecam]

9. You have to test more than that.

Health care workers. Non symptomatic people using public transport. Just for starters.

[Eyeball_Kid]

4. Merkel will get the blame for a virus resurgence. That will happen, likely in June/July.

Capitalists (they're not conservatives) will have their day, and deaths will increase. Capitalism doesn't flinch when deaths increase.

[bluestarone]

7. As she SHOULD!

[yaesu]

6. It may work & I understand the reasoning behind it but I hope they understand that without reliable

vaccines in place its pretty much Russian roulette at this stage.