Germany is taking its first steps to ease the restrictions on public life that were imposed weeks ago. Getty
Germany is taking its first steps to ease the restrictions on public life that were imposed weeks ago. Getty
Germany is taking its first steps to ease the restrictions on public life that were imposed weeks ago. Getty
Germany is taking its first steps to ease the restrictions on public life that were imposed weeks ago. Getty

Europe

Mask-wearing orders take effect as Germany edges back to normality

Chancellor Angela Merkel urges caution as shops reopen

Arthur Scott-Geddes
Arthur Scott-Geddes

April 21, 2020

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Germans in three states have been ordered to wear masks when venturing out of their homes as the country inches towards normality.
Covering the nose and mouth is now compulsory for people using any form of public transport or entering shops in the three states – and in some cities elsewhere.

In the city of Dresden, about 200,000 masks were distributed to the public on Monday, when the eastern state of Saxony became the first German state to make their use compulsory.

The requirement was followed by a similar move in the northern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Bavaria, in the south, on Monday became the third state to bring in the measure.

It is dealing with the worst outbreak of the virus in the country, with about 38,000 confirmed cases and almost 1,300 deaths.

From next week, the city of Munster in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state, will require masks to be worn in shops, markets and public buildings, as well as on buses.

Employees of Electrocomponentes de Mexico are seen during a protest to halt work amid the spread of coronavirus, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Reuters
Employees of Electrocomponentes de Mexico are seen during a protest to halt work amid the spread of coronavirus, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Reuters
US President Donald Trump holds up a list of coronavirus testing locations that he says US states can use as he addresses the daily coronavirus task force briefing at the White House in Washington, US. Reuters
US President Donald Trump holds up a list of coronavirus testing locations that he says US states can use as he addresses the daily coronavirus task force briefing at the White House in Washington, US. Reuters
An Indian tribal couple ride on a bicycle through a deserted highway during the nationwide lockdown at Daranggiri village, west of Gauhati, India. AP Photo
An Indian tribal couple ride on a bicycle through a deserted highway during the nationwide lockdown at Daranggiri village, west of Gauhati, India. AP Photo
A man walks through a field hospital set up inside the Corferias convention center in Bogota, Colombia. AP Photo
A man walks through a field hospital set up inside the Corferias convention center in Bogota, Colombia. AP Photo
Gene Campbell, 89, who contracted coronavirus in early March, sits in his son's car after spending six weeks in the hospital, Washington, US. Reuters
Gene Campbell, 89, who contracted coronavirus in early March, sits in his son's car after spending six weeks in the hospital, Washington, US. Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a video conference meeting on the coronavirus situation, at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow. AFP
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a video conference meeting on the coronavirus situation, at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow. AFP
A woman stands at an access point to a neighborhood closed off by barriers in Wuhan, China's central Hubei province. AFP
A woman stands at an access point to a neighborhood closed off by barriers in Wuhan, China's central Hubei province. AFP
People walk past shops on a pedestrian street in Dortmund, western Germany, during the coronavirus pandemic. Some small shops in Germany reopened on Monday as the country took a cautious step toward returning to normal. AFP
People walk past shops on a pedestrian street in Dortmund, western Germany, during the coronavirus pandemic. Some small shops in Germany reopened on Monday as the country took a cautious step toward returning to normal. AFP
Members of "Team Drone Masters" after spraying disinfectant d in Ahmedabad, India. AFP
Members of "Team Drone Masters" after spraying disinfectant d in Ahmedabad, India. AFP
A passenger wearing a face mask stands next to a poster of Tokyo 2020 Olympic mascot Miraitowa on a train in Tokyo. AFP
A passenger wearing a face mask stands next to a poster of Tokyo 2020 Olympic mascot Miraitowa on a train in Tokyo. AFP
Olav Kneppen delivers his 4-year-old son Oliver to the "Espira Grefsen Station Kindergarten" in Oslo. Norway, which says it has coronavirus under control, started opening up pre-schools after a month-long closure. AFP
Olav Kneppen delivers his 4-year-old son Oliver to the "Espira Grefsen Station Kindergarten" in Oslo. Norway, which says it has coronavirus under control, started opening up pre-schools after a month-long closure. AFP
A man rides his bike in a deserted street of central Athens on a lockdown. AFP
A man rides his bike in a deserted street of central Athens on a lockdown. AFP
City workers disinfect a bus stop to help prevent the spread of coronavirus outside a closed cinema featuring a mural of film directors, from left, Federico Fellini, Alfred Hitchcock, Luis Buñuel and Lucrecia Martel in Montevideo, Uruguay. AP Photo
City workers disinfect a bus stop to help prevent the spread of coronavirus outside a closed cinema featuring a mural of film directors, from left, Federico Fellini, Alfred Hitchcock, Luis Buñuel and Lucrecia Martel in Montevideo, Uruguay. AP Photo

Most shops with floor space below 800 square metres have been allowed to welcome customers again, the first wave of scaling back lockdown measures introduced last month. But the government faces increasing pressure from other sectors still facing curbs to move faster and let them get business back on track.

Mrs Merkel and local government authorities announced the decision to reopen last week, but were careful to frame it as a cautious first step.

On Monday, as small shops opened for the first time in a month, the chancellor warned Germans the country was still at risk from the pandemic.

“We must not lose sight of the fact that we stand at the beginning of the pandemic and are still a long way from being out of the woods,” she said.

It would be a “crying shame if we were to stumble into a relapse with our eyes wide open.”

Mrs Merkel said loosening restrictions too hastily could be counterproductive as the effects of the new measures would not be seen for two weeks.

“We must remain vigilant and disciplined,” she stressed.

Germany has recorded about 147,000 cases including  4,862 deaths, a fatality rate far below those of Italy, Spain, France and the United Kingdom.

This is attributed in part to to its intensive care capacity and widespread testing.

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Started: established in 2016 and launched in July 2017
Based: Singapore, with offices in the UAE, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand
Sector: FinTech, wealth management
Initial investment: $500,000 in seed round 1 in 2016; $2.2m in seed round 2 in 2017; $5m in series A round in 2018; $12m in series B round in 2019; $16m in series C round in 2020 and $25m in series D round in 2021
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