Germany to Reopen Stores in First Step Toward Post-Virus Era

Retail spaces of less than 800 square meters (8,611 square feet) will be reopening, along with car dealerships, bike shops and book stores. Bars, restaurants, gyms and larger stores will have to remain closed. The government is “urgently” recommending that everyone wear face masks.

Germany’s comprehensive testing and relative progress in protecting vulnerable people have led to a lower fatality rate than European partners such as Italy, Spain and the U.K. The country has gotten through the “first wave” in good shape thanks to citizens’ adhering to strict contact curbs, Health Minister Jens Spahn said Friday.

That creates an opening for Germany as governments across Europe seek to limit the economic damage while avoiding a second wave of infections from the virus, which has killed more than 50,000 people in the region.

Germany’s latest figures Sunday showed confirmed cases increased by the least in four days and the number of fatalities rose by the fewest in five days. More than 85,000 people have recovered from the disease, more than in any other country, including China, where the outbreak originated.

Bloomberg