German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief of staff mentioned Saturday that he was “very sceptical” about prospects of individuals traveling at Easter however expected the coronavirus situation within the nation to improve by the end of May.
Helge Braun informed the Funke newspaper group in an interview published Saturday that he’s “very sceptical as far as travel at Easter is concerned.” Easter falls on the first weekend in April this yr.
Merkel and state governors this week agreed to extend lockdown measures till March 28, while outlining a roadmap for alleviating restrictions in areas with lower infections level.
Braun mentioned that Germany could return to full normality in the summer if vaccine manufacturers keep to their delivery pledges and no new coronavirus mutation arises “that raises questions over the whole success of vaccination.”
Germany so far has given 5.7% of its population the first dose of vaccine and 2.8% a second dose.
A decline in new coronavirus cases has stalled as a more contagious variant first found within the UK spreads within the nation.
Europe recorded 1 million new COVID-19 cases last week, an increase of 9% from the previous week and a reversal that ended a six-week decline in new infections, WHO mentioned Thursday.
“The spread of the variants is driving the increase, however not only,” mentioned Dr Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, citing “additionally the opening of society, when it is not done in a safe and a controlled manner.”
The variant first found in the UK is now dominant in at least 10 European nations: Britain, Denmark, Italy, Ireland, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Israel, Spain and Portugal.