TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Germany extends virus curbs on public life to April 19

News Desk (Agence France-Presse)
Berlin, Germany
Thu, April 2, 2020 Published on Apr. 1, 2020 Published on 2020-04-01T22:31:50+07:00

Change text size

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Germany extends virus curbs on public life to April 19 A sign is seen on a shop window during the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Hamburg, Germany March 28, 2020.Germany will extend its current restrictions on public life to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus by two weeks until April 19. (REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer)

G

ermany will extend its current restrictions on public life to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus by two weeks until April 19, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday.

"We assessed the situation today and confirmed that the restrictions... will be valid up to and including April 19. We will reassess the situation on the Tuesday after Easter," Merkel said in a telephone conference following a video meeting with regional state premiers.

German authorities on March 22 ordered restaurants shut and banned gatherings of more than two people to slow the spread of COVID-19.

The restrictions were initially slated to last two weeks, but will now be extended until April 19, to coincide with the end of the Easter school holidays. 

Certain individual states including Bavaria -- Germany's largest by area -- had already announced an extension, and others will now follow suit in the coming days. 

Merkel noted that the lengthened period of curbs means families may not be able to visit each other during Easter celebrations in Germany. 

But she warned that a "pandemic does not recognize holidays".

The government has repeatedly rejected calls to relax the measures in recent days, with Merkel calling on the public to "be patient" in a podcast last weekend. 

On Wednesday, the Chancellor reiterated that it was "much too early to think about loosening the restrictions". 

"It would be much worse to do it too early, and we are still very far away from what we need to achieve," she said.

She pointed out that the number of infections was still rising sharply in Germany, and said that any reassessment of the measures would be based on the advice of the Robert Koch Institute for public health (RKI), which is leading the country's fight against the virus. 

The latest RKI figures recorded 67,366 confirmed cases in Germany on Wednesday, a jump of more than 5,000 on the previous day. 

 

 

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.

Share options

Quickly share this news with your network—keep everyone informed with just a single click!

Change text size options

Customize your reading experience by adjusting the text size to small, medium, or large—find what’s most comfortable for you.

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!

Continue in the app

Get the best experience—faster access, exclusive features, and a seamless way to stay updated.