Germany relaxes its Covid curbs
– German Chancellor Angela Merkel has unveiled plans to gradually ease coronavirus curbs in Europe’s top economy, while President Joe Biden slammed “Neanderthal” decisions to drop mask-wearing mandates in some US states.
Merkel and Germany’s 16 regional leaders on Wednesday revealed a step-by-step plan to relax restrictions, despite concern over the spread of more aggressive virus variants, as she caved to political pressure and public discontent.
“Today, we can talk of hope and a transition to a new phase” in the fight against the pandemic, she told a Berlin press conference, citing the imminent ramp-up in vaccinations and the arrival of mass rapid testing.
The relaxations will happen gradually and many of the current virus restrictions will stay in place until 28 March. But from Monday, Germans will be allowed to socialise more, with up to five adults from two households allowed to meet up.
The desire to leave pandemic regulations behind is widespread throughout the rest of Europe too, as the Swiss government said a referendum would be held in June on the legality of government powers to order lockdowns.
In the Dutch town of Bovenkarspel, a suspected bomb went off at a coronavirus testing centre, breaking windows but not causing any injuries.
The Netherlands has been shaken by riots against coronavirus curfews and the torching of another testing centre in January.
Biden is touting a surge in vaccine production in the US and says that by May, there will be enough supply for everyone – although it could take months for the whole population to receive the jabs.
As US states Texas and Mississippi defy federal guidelines and ditch mask requirements, Biden told reporters at the White House this was no time to relax, despite declining case counts. More than half a million Americans have died from the coronavirus and the toll ticks upward daily.
“The last thing we need is Neanderthal thinking that in the meantime, everything’s fine – take off your mask, forget it. It still matters.”
Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, echoed the warning: “The next month or two is really pivotal in terms of how this pandemic goes.”
Increasingly, the now yearlong global pandemic is boiling down to a race between the virus’ spread and governments’ ability to administer an ever-growing line-up of vaccines.
While cases are dropping in some countries, Greece on Wednesday extended its lockdown to 16 March and called on more private health resources as it clocked its highest rate of daily infections this year. –