Germany's economy minister urged the country's 16 federal states on Monday to go slowly in lifting coronavirus restrictions to avoid the outbreak spreading further and being forced to backtrack later.
Commuters wearing face masks enter a train at the Cologne main station, after the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia decided to make wearing protective masks obligatory in buses, trains and shops to fight the spread of the coronavirus disease , in Cologne, Germany, April 27, 2020. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay
Under Germany’s decentralised political system, the states have the power to implemen\t and rescind the social distancing measures on which Berlin is relying to slow the virus’s spread, and Chancellor Angela Merkel is resisting pressure from some to further ease restrictions. “As a person who believes in fact-based decisions, I recommend to all of us to proceed very carefully in order not to be forced into eventually rescinding easing measures,” Peter Altmaier told Deutschlandfunk radio on Monday.
The federal and state governments introduced the first lockdown measures during the week beginning on March 22, though the precise details of the measures and the dates they were introduced varied from state to state.
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