Germany plans for small shops to reopen their doors
Here’s the latest on how European countries are dealing with the Covid-19 outbreak:
Germany
The country plans to let small shops reopen as early as next week after a four-week coronavirus shutdown, but Europe’s biggest economy is keeping strict social distancing rules in place.
After much-anticipated talks with Germany’s 16 state governors, Chancellor Angela Merkel set out a plan for the first steps of a slow restart of public life.
A ban on gatherings of more than two people in public has been in place since 23 March and was due to run until Sunday. Ms Merkel says the restrictions will remain in place and officials will review at the end of the month what happens after 3 May.
Non-essential shops also have been closed for nearly four weeks. Other shops of up to 800sqm will be allowed to start reopening.
Italy
Italy’s daily increase in Covid-19 cases has continued to slow. The day-to-day increase of 2,667 confirmed cases that was announced by authorities was the lowest in some five weeks and represented a less than 1.7 per cent increase compared with the total cases of the previous day. The number of intensive care beds occupied by patients with coronavirus infections have also kept dropping.
Belgium
Many of the key lockdown rules will be extended for two weeks, but Belgium is planning to start re-opening up the economy after 3 May.
Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes said any loosening of rules would depend on the cases continuing to taper off.
Originally the lockdown rules would have expired after the weekend, but the intensity of the pandemic has forced the government to extend the situation.
“It is very clear that the crisis is not behind us,” Ms Wilmes said. She said garden centres and do-it-yourself shops could open under the same conditions as essential food stores.
Greece
Greek officials are cautioning against early talk of lifting the country’s lockdown. Greece yesterday reported 22 new infections and one new death from Covid-19.
Russia
President Vladimir Putin has presented new measures to support business, including direct financial aid and statesupported loans.
Mr Putin said the state would provide small and mediumsized businesses with direct financial support to help them to pay salaries to their employees.
The amount of aid will be calculated on the official minimal wage, now equivalent to about £128 a month.
Also, businesses will be offered state-guaranteed loans for salary payments and government low-rate loans for companies to finance their operational costs.
The measures follow broad criticism of the Kremlin for the failure to shore up the businesses hurt by the partial economic shutdown through to 30 April.
The Netherlands
The Netherlands has thrown its support behind the World Health Organisation after US president Donald Trump announced a halt to American payments to the group, pending a review of its warnings about coronavirus..