Merkel thanks Germans, shutdown to continue until at least April 20
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Germans have been largely complying with rules to prevent the spread of coronavirus, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Saturday, as confirmed cases in the country continued to rise and her chief of staff said the shutdown would not be eased before April 20.
“When I see today how almost everyone has completely changed their behavior, how the vast majority of you really do avoid any unnecessary contact, precisely because it can also contain a risk of infection, then I would simply like to say: thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Merkel said in her weekly podcast.
The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Germany has risen to 48,582 – an increase of 6,294 on the previous day – and 325 people have died of the disease, statistics from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed on Saturday.
Germany has closed schools, shops, restaurants, playgrounds and sports facilities and many companies have stopped production to help slow the spread of the disease.
To mitigate the economic effects of the shutdown, Germany has agreed a 750 billion euro ($834 billion) stimulus packaged and introduced measures such as an easing of insolvency rules and a moratorium on rent payments under certain circumstances.
