German health minister, Jens Spahn, comments to Handelsblatt

  • Infection numbers are showing a more positive trend
  • If that continues, then the government can talk about gradual return to normality after the Easter break

I reckon this is probably an interview earlier in the week, before they got the report on the numbers today. As much as the curve has flattened over the past week or so in Germany, the raw figure is still nothing to scoff at.

The number of new cases reported over the past 24 hours was close to 5,000 and that is even with the mass testing being conducted by German authorities over the past month.

The next week is going to be crucial for most countries in Europe in determining whether or not the end of the month is a realistic timing to ease lockdown restrictions.