for more on that story let's talk to do to abuse it kate brady kate thanks for joining us kate is there a growing movement that we're seeing taking place here. well certainly since just a few weeks ago we've seen these number of people attending these demonstrations which are often dumped as high g. demonstrations growing from just a few dozen people in the german capital to the thousands that we've seen in several german cities today but it is worth noting of course that is people still are a minority and at several local establishment several local businesses close to where these demonstrations have been taking place there will also be holding a sense of of counterparts as a kind of counter protest against these demonstrations but in placards and posters in the window saying we're not going to stage we're not your background your backdrop sorry and one thing that we could be seeing here by these protesters is something that one of the leading for all ages here in germany christian to us that he's been helping deal with the pandemic here in germany he were very few weeks ago to a preve

kate brady who is standing by with a view from berlin so kate as we've heard the e.u. wants to transition from lockdowns to summer tourist season it seems like a lot to ask. it is certainly a lot to ask and of course there are still a lot of factors to take into consideration at the moment not only of the situation in germany but also in germany's neighboring countries as well and how the situation that develops in the coming weeks but the hope is now is to have freedom of travel again throughout the schengen zone by mid june of course that all depends on the situation with the virus at the time and of course it's going to be a very difficult logistical puzzle to solve as well and one that's going to need a lot of cooperation within the european union now the e.u. commission has already started making some recommendations and it seems that if and when tourism really does kick start again here in europe then where of course expecting to see limitations on the number of guests that might be allowed it at certain hotels certainly social distancing rules will still be in place the same will most likely apply to airports and also to air travel as well on the plane themselves you most likely will have to wear a face mask and so this is all a puzzle that needs to be resolved by by cooperation between european states and of course they say this all depends on the situations time is that. a 2nd wave of coronavirus not only here in germany but across your face still very much real and i want to talk a little bit more about that fear of that 2nd wave but 1st let's have a check of some of the facts a closer look now at germany's current level of paradise and then get your reaction there after. visitors to berlin's famous can finally watch the burns play again. it almost seems like a normal day but strict safety measures are in place a distance of 1.5 meters must be kept at all times there are also restrictions on visitor numbers museums are also gradually reopening here similar rules apply and as in other public spaces people are obliged to wear face masks these are once in short supply as germany slowly lives restrictions mosse have become an essential tool in preventing a 2nd wave of infections but are enough available. are completely confident that we'll be equipped with enough protective gear and mosques also in the future if we were to see another spike in infections. but the president of the german medical association is critical of the decision to make masks mandatory. whether it makes sense to wear masks in public or not has almost become a question of faith scientific research on that does not deem it absolutely necessary. does science. as restrictions and more people leave their harms the risks of coming into contact with an infected person increases. that's why germany is developing a tracking app designed to inform uses if they've been in the vicinity of an infected person. but developing the app is taking longer than expected and is it even worth the white the public health service warns the app alone is now a game changer. thanks when the app arrives it will give additional information about the number of new infections it will not replace the work of the health ministry the opposite is true don't have even more to do and that's why the number of borchester must be ramped up all. by talk. preparing for a potential 2nd wave requires personnel and sufficient testing capacity up 240-0000 people who were being tested at the height of the pen demick in germany but will the country be able to maintain the same pace in the future. the capacity for more testing is there it's especially important that we primarily test caregivers and those working in the health care sector in clinics and practices but also in cas some facilities dealing with elderly out patients. for the most part life in berlin appears to be moving towards a new normal but should the infection rate rise to shop lee the newly found freedom could be short lived and the bruins would be left to play on their own without an audience in mind. and we're back now with kate brady kate you know we saw some of the measures there that germany has been undertaking in order to try and control this corona virus pandemic especially the threat of a 2nd wave how well prepared is the country well right now germany's quite well prepared in the case that there should be a 2nd wave of coronavirus here and as we've seen already in the last couple of months and the country is actually benefited quite well from the fact that it had quite a bloated health system going into this pandemic something that's previously been criticized and that will called even to close down some regional hospitals but of course that's helped germany making sure that it's hospitals didn't become overcrowded and of course in addition to that you also had that testing going on and as we had there in the reports as well there already plans in place to increase that capacity even further so that there would be the opportunity to make sure that all medical professionals were able to be tested shoul

kate brady kate many in germany are hoping the government today will announce a further easing a significant is in of the lockdown as anything when leaked yet. well there has been a draft document that's been doing the rounds all day here today in germany with some very interesting information regarding the possible relaxation of some restrictions here in germany one important point regards the shops here in germany as are it's expected that all shops will soon be allowed to reopen regardless of their size so far only shops up to a maximum size of $800.00 metres square have been able to reopen of course with social distancing measures in place which will of course still be a requirement when shops reopen on top of that we're also expecting to see all school children return to school in germany by the summer break again on the condition that strict hygiene rules are followed and that social distancing can be up kept already earlier this week in many states small groups of school leavers both at elementary and secondary level were returning to school but for the transition into secondary school as of course some many school leavers will now be sitting some of their final exams before they finish school for ever on top of that what else are we expecting to see says a possibly the reopening as well of restaurants and universities there says that it seems however will be something which will be left to each individual states so 16 federal states here in germany it seems they will take the reins on measures regarding the gastronomy sector and also hotels as well but one thing that will stay in place is a strict ban on large events so big spectator events they're expected to remain banned until the end of all this but all of these relaxations come 'd with on the condition really that we don't see an increase in the number of new coronavirus cases here in germany if that were to be the case it seems that we could see a number of restrict. been reinstated here in germany. that draft decision. you talked about still warns of the possible new spike in infections could lead to more lockdowns. for the chance to arrive for a press conference it's been a 100 days since germany's 1st confirmed case is a closer look at how the outbreak has unfolded as the country carefully moves to reopen another day with fewer than 700 new infections the president of the german public health agencies seem pleased ahead of the next round of easing restrictions on. the population from covert 19 and the best ways and that has worked very well in germany so far as you can tell from the latest figures. it's $100.00 days since the coronavirus hit germany here in the varia on the 27th of january a man fell ill after contracting the virus from his chinese coworker. in early march during cannavale celebrations the region of hind speck became a virus hotspot. soccer game in nearby mentioned went ahead with some 50000 spectators this is when the severity of the crisis really hit germany in a much t.v. images from crisis written in italy reached german households. german authorities from top testing and added i.c.u. beds in hospitals bigger events got cancelled shops and schools closed border checks were imposed. in mid march americal addressed the german nation on t.v. a 1st in her 15 years as head of government. thinking these are the most severe restrictions postwar germany has ever seen let me assure you for somebody like me for whom freedom of travel in movement was a hard fought right such restrictions are only justified when absolutely necessary . and the measures seem to have worked these calculations show when and how many people became infected and when key steps were taken to slow the spread now shops museums and churches can open again if they meet hygiene and social distancing requirements face masks are now mandatory for shopping trips and on public transport on wednesday anglo-american the country's 16 state premiers will discuss the next round of easing restrictions varian officials have already announced that beer gardens will be able to open again on the 18th of may. have some states like lower saxony or bavaria have been pushing ahead to lift lock down decisions before they are announced on the national level is it a case of german states asserting their independence snubbing berlin so-to speak. well there certainly has been growing frustration among the different states here in germany and of course different states have been affected differently by the corona virus pandemic with different number of cases and also a different number of deaths ranging in different areas around the country and so in tackling the pandemic the state premiers over 16 states have wanted to ideally respond differently and respond with a targeted response that fits their state but so far i'm glad michael has been calling on the 16 state premiers to to unite on on a national front but as you say in recent days we have seen a growing number of relaxations popping up in different places around the country including there as we saw in the report in bavaria with the plans to open up be a god and so they have certainly been flexing their muscles when it comes to how they can use germany's federal system which of course is to their advantage that they can take a more targeted approach at the same time that it's the consistency and the national nationwide understanding of the measures which is widely being seen as one of the successes and so and as to why so many germans until now have been a daring so closely to the restrictions that have been in place for several weeks now. talking about the average german that what is public opinion about loosening coronavirus restrictions. well it really is still a quarter virtual issue and interestingly a poll from just a few days ago suggested that almost half of germans actually think that the relaxation is taking place a little too quickly and only 15 percent think that it was taking place too slowly so germans of course are ready to get back out and get towards a sense at least of normalcy in public life and when you're out and about here in germany as well i can speak at least for berlin it does seem that people are currently a daring to a lot of the measures particularly when it comes to the wearing of masks now which is obligatory nationwide in shops and also on public transport there is however a bit more complacency when it comes to keeping that distance at recommended distance of 1.5 meters and so that is also that risk which has been mentioned from day one of relaxing restrictions here in germany that people could become increasingly complacent even careless and start to spend too much time together and and too much time close together as well. ok do you get the impression the german government believes the country has the worst of the pandemic behind it. well the german government certainly isn't taking its progress in the pandemic and relative success you might even say in hundley in the pandemic for granted but at the same time of course the numbers here differ hugely from other neighboring e.u. states and unposed asians have been working closely with scientists scientists and experts in their decision making as to how and to what extent these restrictions should indeed be relaxed but of course at the same time the public health institute here in germany the robot call institute has warned that a 2nd wave of 19 could certainly be on its way and at the moment of course the number of new cases daily cases here in germany do seem to be continuing to decline but that could change at any moment particularly with people likely to now coming to more contact with each other if these a relaxation is a confirmed in this press conference with angola malco so there are still concerns here about a 2nd wave here in germany and whether the progress that germany has made so far could indeed be put in jeopardy. stay with us while we wait for that press conference of the chance to start to come back to you. meanwhile federal and state ministers will have discussed the much anticipated restart of the bond as they go season if the league gets the green light it would be the 1st of europe's 5 biggest football leagues to return to the. to play or not to play that is the question only politicians can answer germany's football league the d.f.l. has revealed more than 10 positive kobe in 1000 cases so far 3 from s.c. cologne the league had just started the 1st wave of coronavirus tests last week in preparations to get back on the pitch another wave of testing is underway following the initial positive cases however teams continue to train in compliance with this insane protocol set by medical experts germany's health minister. has expressed his support for the business leaders plan to resume play stating the basic plan makes sense and could serve as a model for other professional sports but will have to see how it goes several clubs in the bonus league as 1st division reported 0 positive kovan 1000 tests the d.f.l. has stated should the season go ahead all teams will have to go into quarantine like training camps one week before games restart some players had already expressed their concerns about resuming in mid may many players are also talking to us about ok is this appropriate right now when is the right time how far has my community in my country come to a battle with a crisis where i said a positive example fan groups in germany had reservations about the restart as well as expected no fans will be allowed in the stadiums germany's police union believes fans will gather outside the stadiums regardless of the rules must the show go on the d.f.l. is hoping the politicians will approve the resumption of the but is legal and 2nd division seasons as soon as may 15th. but if play does resume and then a player test positive what happens then. lets out the topic of football very important to lots of people there are reports out there that suggest the league will indeed get the green light from the state what are some of the concerns about restarting the. locals like a lot of the decisions that have been made regarding the relaxation of restrictions here in germany and there's a lot of controversy here over this decision and how the bunda sleeve should and or if it will even continue and of course you've got 2 main aspects that have been balanced here obviously the health of both the players and the teams and the fans but also the economic impact as well the d.f.l. the german football league has always ready warned that several clubs could go out of business if games don't resume and that comes down a lot to the money that's made in television there's around $300000000.00 euros still at stake this season so if those games on played and broadcast on television than these teams are simply won't receive that money but as we heard there in the report as well there have also been concerns voiced by players and by fans alike about whether they should be setting a good example on whether resuming play would set a good example and of course on top of that concert and for their own health as well. kate we're just being told that that press conference with. the loosening of the restrictions is being delayed for at least another 15 to 20 minutes so we come back to you when that is starting to fall september and i'll be held in december at the earliest south korea we boarded only 2 new cases officials said both were detected during straining at airports there were no new local transmissions the white house is said to disband the task force responsible for the pandemic by early june president trump said coordination of the u.s. response was moving into a new phase focusing on the aftermath of the outbreak it was the ground 0 of the global pandemic now china's who by province as taken another step towards normal life schools have reopened for the 1st time since they were shut down in january senior students with exams in the summer are the 1st to return to classrooms amid enhanced safety measures it's unclear when junior and middle school pupils will follow. as for in your correspondent

more now joined by political correspondent kate brady kate germany's health minister has his doubts about whether a vaccine will be available soon yet the u.s. is raising funds to try to speed up vaccine development why is the german minister so pessimistic. i don't know if you pessimism because what we're seeing over the hearing from spawn in those comments and in previous weeks is this very cautious tone something that we've heard from machall herself it's a very cautious plan of action that germany has been taking and that flows into all of the measures that germany is taking right now in terms of relaxing the lockdown here in germany or the partial shutdown and also in terms of how we move forward by economically and also in terms of developing a vaccine as well so this is very much in line with how germany has been tackling the carvin 1800 mks so far very cautious and this really was a racer ation from what we've heard from trans langley macas well who as we just heard said to you that the the process does need to be quick in this case of course this is an unprecedented situation in

of a more on this let's bring in the political correspondent kate brady kate what are the chances that german car makers will receive state aid. well we're not actually expecting to see any great big announcements coming out of that telephone conference today instead it seems that today will be a chance to put proposals on the table and to discuss what might be possible in the coming months as hopefully at least in terms of the car industry their hope is that more people will return to their 2 car dealerships in the coming weeks now that many stores of reopened on monday but they are expecting at least a boost from the german government that's what they're demanding and one of their main demands is incentives for bae is one of the proposals being that we could see some incentives of anywhere between $3.40 euros for customers depending on what kind of car vehicle they would be purchasing and so on top of that we could also even see a scrappage scheme that something not quite entirely new to germany that mechanism was used almost a decade ago now in the aftermath of the financial crisis

kate brady so kate it seems like quite a lot of people turning up to these demonstrations what are they so angry about which restrictions do they object to the most. well it seems that these protesters are effectively accusing the medical workers and politicians here in germany of spreading widespread panic and also infringing their freedoms and their rights to the down measures if you will in recent weeks of course germany hadn't seen quite as strict lock down measures as some other countries but there are still contacts restrictions in place albeit that there are plans in place now to ease those in the coming weeks depending on how that reproduction rate that you mentioned that developed which of course we now know is above $1.00 and also depending on how the number of new cases grows or declines or whether we'll see that plateau in the coming weeks but it does seem it is difficult to pinpoint exactly what unites these groups there's a real mix spread of people there from everyday citizens to the extremes of the political spectrum with people from the far left and as we heard there in the report from the far right as well with some known holocaust deniers and conspiracy theorists there as well so it does seem though that one issue they seem to all agree on is that oppositional rather than a critique of the mainstream politicians right now. now kate is this a growing movement that we're seeing or are these just several fringe groups coming together. ok as we have seen these demonstrations growing in recent weeks what started out as a few dozen people gathering here in the capital in berlin has now grown into several 1000 people in a handful of cities across germany which we saw this weekend that said they do still seem to be a minority and according to a poll that came out just a couple of days ago 2 thirds of germans still support the measures that are currently still in place that have been the restrictions that have been imposed by the state governments around the country but of course even that is a significantly lower number than earlier on in the pandemic when over 90 percent of of the nation according to the same pollsters actually supported the restrictions that were in place at the time so it certainly seems that there is a sense of fatigue setting in here in germany but we could also be seeing something that was really

well for more on this let's bring in kate brady so kate it seems like quite a lot of people turning up to these demonstrations what are they so angry about which restrictions do they object to the most. but it seems that these protesters are effectively accusing the medical workers and politicians here in germany of spreading widespread panic and also infringing their freedoms and their rights to the down measures if you will in recent weeks of course germany hadn't seen quite as strict lock down measures as some other countries but there are still contacts restrictions in place albeit there are plans in place now to ease those in the coming weeks depending on how that reproduction rate that you mentioned that developed which of course we now know is above $1.00 and also depending on how the number of new cases grows or declines or whether we'll see that plateau in the coming weeks but it does seem it is difficult to pinpoint exactly what unites these groups there's a real mix spread of people there from everyday citizens to the extremes of germany's political spectrum with people from

kate brady is covering this story for us kate germany's coming out of law for the most part what does this say about the state of the pandemic in the country well i'm going macro summarize that quite nicely yesterday in that press conference saying that germany it's safe to say has come through the 1st phase of the pandemic but it is still very much in the early phases of this pandemic and it's something that germany will be facing for a long time to come so clearly the german government isn't taking the progress and relative success that it's hard so far in getting a grip on the pandemic for granted and so i also have the impression in recent days especially from state premiers and also from the business sector to get things back going in especially in the for the german economy to keep that floating a jury in the condemning and in the aftermath so that has had a huge effect on those decisions that we heard from. yesterday but that the granted that these these restrictions on now relax that's all that's all that all depends on whether people actually in days to the rules that are still in place until june 5th june the 5th is that an old huge risk a that this relaxation of the lockdown will cause a 2nd wave of infections perhaps bigger than the 1st. well that is still a big concern and something that's being voiced time and time again by the public health institute here in germany the robot cock institute and the president all of that institute said just a couple of days ago in his words that it was with great certainty that a 2nd wave would be on its way and that's something that the german government by that federal and state level are preparing for and i'm glad michael made it very clear yesterday that should the number of new cases new acute cases per day reach a certain threshold then individual states must be prepared to reimplement and reinstate restrictions assimilates as a those that we've seen already talking about those states germany has these 16 federal states they have a lot of freedom and different ways they have freedom in terms of health for and health they go in relaxing restrictions how's that working you know what was seen here is germany's federal system in action of course has advantages and disadvantages to that and so far means that each individual state has effectively been able to take responsibility for how they relax measures restrictions here in germany and to what extent because of course every state has not been as badly affected as others by 19 but at the same time in the coming weeks there could certainly be a bit more chaos to come especially as people as we look ahead start to travel more around germany so we'll have to see exactly to what extent the state premiers continue to cooperate but it seems where one state premier goes the others seem not so far behind kate thanks so much political correspondent kate brady. and here's a round up of some of the latest pandemic and news around the world poland has postponed the presidential election that was scheduled to take place this sunday the delay comes after all position groups argued that the coronavirus lock down fair election impossible for the 4th straight time russia has reported a one day increase of more than $10000.00 cases bringing the national total to more than $165000.00 south korea has reported only 2 new cases in 24 hours officials said both were detected during screenings at airports and thailand has confirmed 3 new cases and no deaths. now for a brief look at some of the other stories making headlines around the world today a ghastly chemical factory in southeastern india has left at least 9 people dead and up to a 1000. officials in the nearby city of. say styrene escaped from the plant as villagers were sleeping hundreds of people have been hospitalized european union expects to ex

kate brady now who has been listening into this for us hi kate we heard the chance are facing some critical questions or particularly from the far right on the economic measures what's your impression how broadly do lawmakers support the steps that her government has taken. largest speak in there has been a lot of support where the criticism comes in really is on this matter of restrictions of both when it comes to when those restrictions were imposed and how those restrictions are being eased as well and one of the most contentious issues that we have been addressed just now as well is idea this is this idea of an emergency break so the idea was that last week angela merkel agreed with the state premiers of germany 16 states that if a specific district reported more than 50 new cases per 100000 inhabitants over the last 7 days then the response or an appropriate response would be necessary from the states and so what we've seen is some districts in germany now postponing the relaxation of measures and that has been a largely due to these small outbreaks in slaughterhouses in germany in various parts and so that now being questions raised about how effective this emergency brake can be because in the meantime of course of the businesses as we heard that during the chancellor's question time other industries are now suffering as a result of these breakouts juicer the meat industry and some of the accommodation have been questions raised about the accommodation living standards and also working standards of workers that and so that's now having a knock on effect on other industries as well but as you say there was a question as well from from the the largest opposition party in the brain the star of the far right alternative to germany about the economic repercussions as well and how germany continue plans at least to continue cushioning the economic impact of course already we've seen a huge historical financial aid package signed off by the german government some 750000000000 euros it's already been signed off to keep businesses of all sizes and keep employees afloat but have. course as restrictions remain in place we are seeing a hospital hospitality reopen and so that's been quite a relief for many businesses but still under certain restrictions and so a lot of businesses are still on being able to return to normal circumstances and still going to be short on their usual income so it was interesting that the medical pointed out there that while this virus is still with those they can only at least plan at least for now this seems to be the strategy that the german government is taking is is planning for the moment and making policy according to the moment of course things could look very different within within 4 weeks in the same way that 4 weeks ago things looked extremely different in germany and it seems at least for now things seem to be taking a more positive direction in terms of both the number of new cases and also that reproduction rate but of course those figures will say continue to see experts analyzing those over the next few weeks because of course there is also a lag between when new cases are reported and when those tests a process or the effects of restrictions being eased right now we might not even see that for another couple of weeks yet so those are all factors that are going to be taken into consideration both in terms of public health policy and economic policy here in germany all right our political correspondent kate brady reporting for us thank you kate. a staying in germany of the country is set to ease border controls with neighboring countries starting this weekend in a further step towards loosening its coronavirus lockdown measures of the german interior minister who says agreements have been reached with france switzerland and austria to ease trouble restrictions starting saturday a border checks of luxembourg will be entirely lifted from that day and similar measures are being discussed with denmark germany closed its borders to all but essential travel almost 2 months ago before the formal. or let's check in now on some other headlines from around the world the u.s. government's top infectious disease expert has warned lawmakers that cities and states could see a spike in coburg 1000 deaths if they lift their lockdowns too quickly anthony expressed his concerns while testifying before the u.s. senate from his home twitter c.e.o. jack dorsey says staff can continue from working working fro

kate brady joins us now for more kate the e.u. wants to transition from lock downs for summer tourist season as we've heard it seems like a lot to ask. it certainly is and it's going to be a huge logistical operation that's going to require a lot of cooperation at the european level so we're going to see lots of cooperation between those different e.u. member states and we could see measures being rolled out across the board or at least agreed on as well when it comes to how and to what extent people travel in the coming weeks and months to take killing as we head towards the summer months and so we can expect for example to see perhaps max masks being made obligatory both on planes and at airports and it's likely to that the number of guests for tells and tours attractions will be limited as well to ensure that social distancing is still a did too and that people have been able to to keep that minimum recommended distance of 1.5 meters from each other on top of that as well the e.u. commission has already recommended that travel should only be permitted to regions where there is the capacity to actually care. for tourists so the medical care capacity needs to be in place because of course the fear of a 2nd wave of the coronavirus demick not only here in germany but in its neighboring e.u. states as well it is very much still real and very much still on the cards right now ok so you mentioned that fear of the 2nd wave of infections and you know speaking about south korea meantime was successful in containing the crisis now it's seeing a spike in new cases leading us to the question are there lessons for other countries such as germany as it opens up we'll talk about that after this short report stand by kate. after a person infected with the coronavirus visited several soul night spots in early me bars and clubs have shattered and about 120 people have been diagnosed positive for cope and 19 linked to the single case. the south korean government only recently relaxed social distancing now this cluster outbreak which started here in the entertainment district of e.t.a. one highlights the struggle to balance the need to reopen the economy with the need to protect public health despite concerns the new infection can turn into a 2nd wave the government seems confident it can continue reopening. of course it's not absolute but as long as the number of daily confirmed cases remains below 50 and 95 percent of all infections are traceable by the government system it can be manageable sing on and go cooper sing on and to use howdy puti but the new coronavirus cases have reminded locals and visitors you need to be one that protective measures are still needed. i think like how he's planning is doin

kate brady is covering this story for us kate many here in germany are hoping the government today will announce further easing of law of the law what can we expect . certainly does seem that we'll see another easing of those restrictions today at least according to a draft paper that we've been doing the rounds here in germany this morning it looks as though from maybe as early as the next couple of weeks all shops in germany could open regardless of the size of a city that's something that's been limited so far to the size of the store and if they are indeed to open they will still have to make sure that customers and workers a daring to social distancing rules we could also see all school students returning to school before the summer break here in germany but it seems that it will be up to the states the individual 16 states to decide when and to what extent places like restaurants universities and also their says are opened and it seems as well that all of these easing of restrictions are limited regarding the increase of new cases in germany should there be another increase and it seems that it should be as if they increased to 50 cases per 10100000 citizens then we could see restrictions put back in place in local areas some of germany's 16 states are already pushing ahead to lift lockdown decisions before they are announced on the federal level is this a case of germany states asserting their independence snubbing berlin so-to speak. i wouldn't go quite as far as to say that the snubbing but there has certainly been some frustration regarding the extent to which different measures are being relaxed in different states of course different states have been affected to different degrees a by the coded 19 pandemic and with that in mind several states as you say have already started to relax the restrictions but at the end of the day this is germany's federal system in action and there are pros and cons to that and it means that they that the states have also been able to take a more targeted response in accordance to the way in which they've been affected as well what's the bottom line what's the message with easing these restrictions does the german government believe the country has the worst of the pandemic behind it well germany certainly isn't taken for granted the progress that has been made so far and to a certain extent the relative success that it's had in handling the pandemic of course we've heard from time and time again that germany still needs to be cautious i imagine that we'll hear some similar messages from her latest as a as well when she addresses the media after those talks with the state premiers and in the meantime of course experts are warning that there could be another wave over the coronavirus on its way and in the meantime the german government will be relying on the population here to make sure that a daring to the social distancing measures to try and limit the spread of this virus kate thank you so much political correspondent kate brady there well another much anticipated decision here in germany is whether the bonus league soccer season can resume play that's also up for discussion today we'll have more on that later in this program. with the summer holidays right around the corner here in germany those in the tourism sector hope travel bans will be among restrictions eased today already the credit crisis is expected to cost the industry around $24000000000.00 euros he to be a business has been to see how the lockdown is making itself felt in the rural economy. it is a children's paradise without the children. a relaxing retreat longing for tired periods. an animal lovers dream and fulfilled. for more than 2 months now. farm one hour from berlin has been closed to guests and the coronavirus lock down is costing them thousands of euros every week. to make sure we have a huge losses every month we have no literally 0 earnings anymore only outgoings because the horse

kate brady who's standing by kate the chancellor's press conference has been delayed for half an hour is that an indication that negotiations are actually quite tough. oh certainly i mean they have plenty to be discussing today 'd whether it's exactly how the different states have been behaving inches say in the last few days taking matters into their own hands and already announcing that some restrictions in some states would be relaxed before other states and then on top of that of course there's a lot of intricate details to be discussed here to in and then we might even see of course on top of that a decision about the bunda sleeker as well plenty of football fans around that table i presume as well today among the politicians or rather on that video call with machall because no one's around the table at the moment so they'll be a lot of things to discuss and we're expecting to hear from merkel within the next few minutes but already as we've mentioned there has been a draft document doing the rounds today here in germany where are expecting to see a lot of. easing of restrictions in the coming days one date that seems to be floating around is may 20th so we could see the relaxation of many measures currently in place just within the next couple of weeks here in germany but as you say this is all dependent on those magic numbers both the number of new cases here in germany which seem at least for the moment to be decreasing the number of new cases seems to be decreasing day on day but on top of that as well you also have to take note of the reproduction rate of the infection something that we've had and being reminded of several times by the public health institute the robert cole institute here in germany and just yesterday the president of the robocall institute was indeed warning again that there could be a 2nd wave if not a 3rd wave eventually of coded 19 here in germany and of course that is one of the main concerns that a spike in the number of cases so of course in addition to that that all depends on how the people here in germany react and behave at the moment the. asks on now a beleaguered terry in germany face masks terry in shops and on public transport and most people seem to be a daring to that but of course that is that sense that people could become a little more complacent as people start meeting in the logic groups perhaps not cape in the distance and that certainly anecdotally speaking at least seems to be the case whether when you're out on in the shops or on the streets people aren't keeping their distance quite like they were a few weeks ago. kate the german system is that the states the 16 states have a lot of control over these restrictions and yet the federal government on the chancellor merkel has given the impression that they were quite in control of the whole situation now the state premiers him to be pushing further than before has lost control of this process. i wouldn't go as far to say that she's lost control but there certainly has been pressure mounting as we've seen in in recent days several different states around germany have been relaxing different restrictions and that radio is something that they're very much in titles or do this is part of germany's 'd political framework with its federal system and it has its advantages it means that these different states have been able to try and take a more targeted approach and to respond accordingly of course not all states and not all areas of germany have been hit quite as hard as all the states by the close of it 19 virus but so far i'm going to medical stance has b

kate brady for more on this story hi kate we heard the chance are there talking about that very difficult balance between controlling the virus on one hand and also easing restrictions on the other does the government have broad support across parliament for its measures. oh the certainly been a large gap between different parliamentary groups in the last week or so when it comes to specifically the easing or relaxation of restrictions in germany and a lot of that comes down to this rather contentious issue of this emergency break which was decided on the last week between angela merkel and the state premiers which means that if a district in germany reports more than 50 new cases per 100000 inhabitants over the past week then action appropriate action needs to be taken so we have seen some place in germany that have put on hold the easing of restrictions there because that has a not knock on effects on the local industry so going forward this will be something that the government and of both federal and state level will be keeping an eye on as you mentioned as well there have been these outbreaks slaughterhouses as well which have had an impact on local numbers so there certainly imagine will be perhaps a reassessment in the coming weeks as to how effective this emergency brake is and how effective and these easing of restrictions are as well as of course the effects that they might be having on the new number of cases which is being closely observed here in germany kate what about among the german public i mean is there still widespread support for the government's course so far. well if you look at the polls around 2 thirds of germans are currently support the current measures in place and the restrictions are still to a certain extent in place here in germany but of course that's a big drop from earlier on during the pandemic when over 90 percent of germans supported the restrictions that were in place and the action that was being taken by the german government and at the same time as well just a few days ago at the weekend we saw an increasing number of demonstrations thousands of people across the country in various cities taking to the streets accusing politicians of infringing their rights and their freedoms here in germany but of course those protests have been looked at very closely in the following days this week particular as it's now become clear that they're worse than far right extremist walking among normal citizens your average citize

kate brady is covering the story for us kate many here in germany are hoping the government today will announce a further relaxation of law 'd restrictions what can we expect. they seem that certainly will be the case later today there's already been a draft paper doing the rounds here in amman the german media this morning and some of the main points that we're likely to see relaxations on today are shops the reopening of shops nationwide regardless of the size so far that's been limited to small shops of up to $800.00 metres square so it looks like they will be reopened albeit of course on the condition that social distancing measures are upheld by customers and staff also we're likely to see the reopening of schools a gradual reopening of schools for all students by the sum of break interestingly though it seems that it will be up to the individual states to decide whether things like hotels bars restaurants and universities will reopen and to what extent of course it seems that all of these relaxations willing to be on the condition that the number of new cases of coronavirus does not increase here in germany and at least according to this draft paper that we've seen so far to say it seems that the each individual state will be required to reimplement restrictions should the number of new cases rise above 50 per 100000 citizens in a specific berra said these do come with strings attacked attached and there are of course expectations on all of the of the people here in germany to follow the social distancing rules ok so clearly the crown of iris is a moving target and all this could change quickly tell us kate we've got some states like varia here pushing ahead live lock down decisions before they're announced on the national level this is a case of german states asserting their independence not being berlin sort of speak . not necessarily snow being berlin but of course this is a federal system and each of germany's 16 federal states has the right at the end of the day to make its own decisions and of course some of that responsibility it seems is going to be officially pushed on to them today after these talks or rather during the talks between angela merkel and the 16 state premiers but there is also i think i feel like a little bit of a competition between the state premiers at the moment which of course is very dangerous considering that we're living through a pandemic but it seems that each state wants to be the one to say look how much we've achieved and and wants to take the 1st steps to let their local people back out into public life and get their economy back up and running again

rate remains under control and that's one of the problems political correspondent kate brady is covering this story for us kate jon is infectious disease agency the robot that caught institute has just this morning warns that could be a 2nd wave before autumn how to start factor into the government plans. well it certainly plays a huge role in the government's plans right now and something that they will be keeping an eye on both at state and federal level as the restrictions are east across germany and as you say the robert cole institute confirmed as well as today that of reproduction rate in germany now has fall into north point $65.00 but at the same time the vice president of the situ said that this is not a signal that germany has the all clear and right now as angela merkel has said on several occasions until there is a vaccine created 19 is very much going to be present in german life and in this new normal but germans are now going to be getting new c. as a restrictions that eased on public life. yeah this new normal while many businesses are being given the green light for this new normal parents in

government's response let's talk about that 1st with our political correspondent kate brady who is following the latest for us kate i get to see you what do we expect to see from the chancellor to hear from the chancellor and from lawmakers today. whether of course at the center of this hour of questions we're expecting to see the corona virus pandemic and the german governments our reactions to that in the in the previous 8 weeks or so here in germany of course there's all sorts of different aspects that we expect a chance language machall to be questioned on of course those rather controversial shutdown measures as well and the timing of which restrictions were imposed and also the timing of which restrictions were east here in germany on top of that i don't doubt that they'll also be questions about the responsibility of germany 16 states and what role they play in the easing of restrictions and of course looking ahead to the coming months if not years as well how the german government intends to actually cushion the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic so it's certainly going to be an interesting hour b

kate brady who has more information for us on that story kate this is not the only outbreak linked to a meat processing plant in germany walk why have these facilities become coronavirus hotspots. well of course i imagine that the close working courses and living quarters that many of these workers find themselves in will have played a huge role in how these slaughterhouses have indeed as you say become hot spots of the 19 fires and as such and close felde in north rhine-westphalia that slaughterhouse a particular has now being closed and we're also expecting to see some checks on the hygiene standards both at the slaughterhouse and at accommodation for those workers in the coming days and in the meantime there will also be widespread testing in north rhine-westphalia that's the state where close felde lies and that's going to involve some 17220000 workers who are currently working in the slaughterhouses across that state the district of course thought it has no delay the loosening of lockdown restrictions in line with so-called emergency brake. earlier this week how does the emergency brake actually work. well this is something that was agreed upon earlier this week between german chancellor angela merkel and the 16 state premiers when they met to discuss relaxing the restrictions currently in place here in germany and the rule basically works on a threshold and it was decided that if a district here in germany reports more than 50 new cases of covert 19 per 100000 inhabitants over the past 7 days then the state in which district lies will be responsible for stepping up restrictions again and tightening those restrictions and that's exactly what we're going to see in close felde they were indeed planning on relaxing easing measures particularly on things like restaurants and shops on may 11th and those easing relaxations of restrictions have now been pushed back another week so of course what we're seeing at these schools are houses is certainly a reminder that covidien 19 is still very much among those and that's something that anglo-american german chancellor has repeated time and time again that until there is a vaccine the virus the corona virus will be something that germany has to live with so that reiterate radio underlines exactly what she was saying earlier this week in which she encouraged germans and she encouraged people here in germany to be cautious as they attempt at least in the coming days to go back to some sense of normalcy now that these restrictions that we've seen over the past few weeks are going to start being eased our correspondent kate brady them thank you very much. and that's it from me and the news team here in berlin i'm cowbell 1st off there are so breakout d.w. business with money cudjoe so don't go away. in the eye of climate change. africa's mix of. what's in store. for the future of the. comic strip in major cities the multimedia insight. into. europe and the end of world war 2. 1940.

kate brady who has more information for us on that story kate this is not the only outbreak linked to a meat processing plant in germany walk why have these facilities become coronavirus hotspots. well of course i imagine that the close working courses and living courses that many of these workers find themselves in will have played a huge role in how these slaughterhouses have indeed as you say become hotspots of the 19 fires and as such in close felde in north rhine-westphalia that slaughterhouse in particular has now being closed and we're also expecting to see some checks on the hygiene standards both at the slaughterhouse and accommodation for those workers in the coming days and in the meantime there will also be widespread testing in north rhine-westphalia that's the state where close felde lies and that's going to involve some 17220000 workers who are currently working in the slaughterhouses across that state the district of course thought it has now delayed the loosening of lock down restrictions in line with so-called emergency brake greet earlier this week how does the emergency brake actually work. well this is something that was agreed upon ellie this week between german chancellor angela merkel and the 16 state premiers when they met to discuss relaxing the restrictions currently in place here in germany and the rule basically it works on the threshold and it was decided that if a district here in germany reports more than 50 new cases of coded 19 per 100000 inhabitants over the past 7 days then the state in which the district lies will be responsible for stepping up restrictions again and tightening those restrictions and that's exactly what we're going to see in close felde they were indeed planning on relaxing easing measures particularly on things like restaurants and shops on may 11th and those easing relaxations of restrictions have now been pushed back another week so of course what we're seeing at these slaughterhouses is certainly a reminder that covidien 19 is still very much among those and that's something that anglo american the german chancellor has repeated time and time again that until there is a vaccine the virus the corona virus will be something that germany has to live with so that reiterate radio underlines exactly what she was saying earlier this week in which she encouraged germans in which she encouraged people here in germany to be cautious as they attempt at least in the coming days to go back to some sense of normalcy now that these restrictions that we've seen over the past few weeks are going to start being eased our correspondent kate brady them thank you very much. the epicenter of the u.s. outbreak has been in new york where more than 26000 have died of covert 19 the virus overwhelmed the city's medical facilities from the start as a result large numbers of health care specialist have been brought in from the outside. jacobs getting ready for his not shift he grabs a quick coffee then the ventilation specialist from connecticut heads back to his hotel to be picked up for work he's here to help because new york couldn't cope on its own out of the entire health care population we comprise a very small percentage so i had the ability to help and i a very meaningful way and i wanted to take full advantage of that to trying to alleviate the situation i over $3400.00 doctors nurses and carers from all over the u.s. have come to new york well paid crisis managers who work 12 hour shifts without a break in almost military fashion that transported to facilities across the city jacob was in fact previously a soldier he bel

our political correspondent kate brady joins me for more on this kate germany and other e.u. countries see this as a lifeline to the tourism industry but the coronavirus will still be around this summer so what are the troubled look like. it certainly will be and the extent to which travel is even allowed will certainly depend on the situation that not only germany but also neighboring member states find themselves in in the coming weeks especially as we head towards those some of months and in the school holidays but of course travel will look very different there so much should it go ahead we can expect for example to see masks being made obligatory the wearing of must be made compulsory on both planes and in airports and it's also likely that the number of guests both her tells and the tourist attractions as well will be limited to a much smaller number than usual to ensure that social distancing measures can still be a did to make sure that people can keep minimum recommended distance of 1.5 meters from each other and on top of that as well we've already heard some advice

kate brady is covering this story for us kate germany is coming out of the law for the most part what does this say about where the penn demick is right now in germany well i'm going so summarize that quite simply yesterday in that press conference saying that it's safe to say the 1st phase of this pandemic is now behind germany but that we are here in germany still in the early phases in the fight against this virus and that it will be something that germany still has to tackle for a long time to come but of course there was a lot of pressure growing in recent days both from the business sector and also from those state premiers of the 16 states say in germany to ease restrictions and in the end of that pressure had a huge effect on the results of those talks yesterday and the relaxed measures that we're expecting to see put in place in the next couple of days but let's not forget all of these relaxations are in the conditions on the condition that social distancing is still a did too and german people here are expected to still follow those rules and anglo-american has made it clear that until there is a vaccine kovac mining is something that germany's still going to have to live with as part of this new normal is there not a huge risk kate that this relaxation of the law will calls a 2nd wave of infections perhaps bigger than the 1st. that certainly is a risk and it's a concern that's been raised as well on several occasions just even a couple of days ago again by the public health institute here in germany the robert cock institute and the president of the roma caucus issue said just the other day that it is with great certainty he said in his words that there will be a 2nd wave and this is something that both the state governments and the federal government are now preparing for and as we heard that in the report and a mouthful made it clear yesterday that should there be an increase in acute cases all of clothes 19 it's specifically 2 specific districts in germany then it will be the state's individual responsibility to ensure that restrictions of re implemented so we could see waves of mini downs depending on how and whether the number of new cases in germany does indeed increase in the coming months germany states

kate brady is covering this story for us kate germany's infectious disease agency the robot cough institute has just this morning warns that could be a 2nd wave before autumn how to start factor into the government bonds well it certainly plays a huge role in the government's plans right now and something that they will be keeping an eye on both at state and federal level as the restrictions across germany and as you say they call in situ confirmed as well as they say that of reproduction rate in germany now has fall into no point $65.00 but at the same time the vice president over the scituate said that this is not a signal that germany has the all clear and right now as i'm glad michael has said on several occasions and full there is a vaccine crave it 19 is very much going to be present in german life and in this new normal that germans are going to be getting you see as a restrictions at least on public life. yeah this new normal kate while many businesses are being given the green light for this new normal parents in particular are very happy why's that. in fact it has been a lot of comparisons drawn in the last few hours or so since those announcements were made yesterday afternoon by angela merkel not only because of things like the one this leader will be able to resume albeit behind closed doors but that there are also plans in place for things like tourism gastronomy and those of her thesis cultural events but the one thing that seems to be missing so far is daycare and kindergartens and that has drawn huge criticism from parents who are desperately trying to balance working from home at the minute many of them wanting to also return to work or working in offices all the place of work where possible as well right now but there's also been criticism on the lack of measures being taken to ensure that those day care for everyone from the social democrats and also the green party as well as social democrats leave

kate brady is following the story for us hi kate give us the latest on this announcement. well that press conference where these measures are being announced is just coming to an end right now a lot of the details still being questioned but what we know so far is that indeed as you say there will be a relaxed border checks the in the coming days out of the 15th of may with friends austria and switzerland but there will still be some checks in place but with look some back however all of the border controls are being lifted and we can expect to see a similar situation with denmark as well for the german interior minister said that that would most likely be possible once denmark has finished its talks with its of the neighboring countries as well so suddenly started to see the next phase an easing of restrictions here when it comes to border controls in which of course have been in place for almost 2 months now in in response to the pandemic kate what does this concretely mean for germans who want to leave the country to go on vacation for example or tourists who might want to visit germany. well it certainly means to not get too excited just yet there is still a global travel warning in place in germany and that's going to stay in place until june till mid june june 14th and as we heard from 0 for that by june 15th however he is hoping that there will be. freedom of travel again which of course is right at the center of the european project this idea of open borders which of course gives you an indication of how difficult a decision it was a couple of months ago to reimpose border checks which haven't been seen for such a long time on many of of germany's borders but for now as i say that global travel warning is still in place heikal masa german foreign minister has also just released a statement as well saying that there is signs there are signs that that could that travel warning could at least be eased for neighboring eur

kate brady who has more information for us on that story kate this is not the only outbreak linked to a meat processing plant in germany won't have these facilities become coronavirus hotspots well of course i imagine that the close working courses and living courses that many of these workers find themselves in will have played a huge role in how these slaughterhouses have indeed as you say become hot spots of the coded 19 fires and as such in close felde in north rhine-westphalia that slaughterhouse a particular has now being closed and we're also expecting to see some checks on the hygiene standards both at the slaughterhouse and accommodation for those workers in the coming days and in the meantime there will also be widespread testing in north rhine-westphalia that's the state where close felde lies and that's going to involve some 17220000 workers who are currently working in the slaughterhouses across that state the district of course felt it has no delay the loosening of lockdown restrictions in line with so-called emergency brake agreed earlier this week how does the emergency brake actually work. well this is something that was agreed upon ellie this week between german chancellor angela merkel and the 16 state premiers when they met to discuss relaxing the restrictions currently in place here in germany and the rule basically works on the threshold and it was decided that if a district here in germany reports more than 50 new cases of 19 per 100000 inhabitants over the past 7 days then the state in which district lies will be responsible for stepping up restrictions again and tightening those restrictions and that's exactly what we're going to see in close felde they were indeed planning on relaxing easing measures particularly on things like restaurants and shops on may 11th and those easing relaxations of restrictions have now been pushed back another week so of course what we're seeing at these slaughterhouses is certainly a reminder that covidien 19 is still very much a moment as and that's something that anglo american the german chancellor has repeated time and time again that until there is a vaccine the virus the corona virus will be something that germany has to live with so that reiterate radio underlines exactly what she was saying earlier this week in which she encouraged germans in which she encouraged people here in germany to be cautious as they attempt at least in the coming days to go back to some sense of normalcy now that these restrictions that we've seen over the past few weeks are going to start being eased our correspondent kate brady them thank you very much the race to find a vaccine against covert 19 is gaining pace in south africa hundreds of health workers are being given a century old tuberculosis vaccine to test whether it can protect against corona virus trials are also on the way elsewhere including the netherlands and australia effective the vaccine could be a vital weapon against the virus. it's just a small puncture but it could make a huge impact on tackling the covert 19 pandemic that at least is the hope of researches who this week began a vaccination trial in cape town the team around dot to carry an op tone wants to investigate whether the tuberculosis vaccine b c g can reduce the severity of corona virus related symptoms the reason behind it researches have experienced positive so-called nonspecific effects of b c g in the past babies adolescents the elderly there have been a reduction in the number of respiratory tract infections in individuals who received obesity vaccine versus the ones w

kate brady our political correspondent who's been waiting with me for that to happen kate we do know that something some things have have leaks what can you tell us about what we can expect. well one thing thing that certainly has leaked within the last hour or so is the tension apparently that seems to have been going round to this telephone conference this afternoon between angela merkel and the 16 state premiers so that might be one indication as to why a we are now as you say almost an hour behind to waiting for this press conference of course many many issues to discuss during that telephone conference today in terms of what restrictions should be eased and to what extent but it does seem that a lot of responsibility is going to be officially handed to the states of course germany has a federal political system as it is but so far anger merkel has been calling on the 16 states to take a united response where possible in terms of restrictions to try and limit the spread of 19 but it seems as though the states will be taking much more many more decisions into their own hands particularly when it comes to the reopening of restaurants universities there says but instead on top of that we could also see the reopening of schools by the some a break of course some children particularly school leavers both at elementary and secondary level returned to school on monday but were expectancy all school children returning to school by the summer break on top of that another big move are expected to be announced is the reopening of all shops nationwide regardless of the size of course until now those reopening said also being limited to smaller shops only up to the size of 800 meters squared of course many businesses had indeed already found loopholes to open anyway even if they were a big a store but all of these relaxations all of this easing of restrictions seems to come with strings attached and those of course are social distancing so the hope is that people will still continue to advance to the social distancing rules and it's expected to be and now. the limits on contact will remain in place until at least early june so we're still waiting for confirmation as you say we've been waiting now all day waiting to hear from angela malco to see what comes of this telephone conference with the state premiers where about 45 minutes an hour or so behind schedule right now so clearly still a lot of tough talks going on there on that call well as it has as you've mentioned those already leaks that transfer market is going to back more hunt the reins back to state premiers there. but didn't they hold the reins from the beginning anyway. well there was an agreement in the last big tall really that they would try and take more of a national stance and it seems at least from some of the details of the leaked so far that that agreement agreement has indeed been scrapped and of course this is come off the back of mounting pressure in recent days frustration as well if you will among the different state premiers of course there are 16 states here in germany and we've been seeing increasing numbers of relaxations on restrictions in different states in bavaria for example that we've seen the the plans announced to reopen their gardens albeit again waive certain restrictions and social distancing measures in place and we've also seen similar proposals put forward for other parts of germany as well particularly in lower saxony and that has certainly been a sense of competition here every day particularly in the last couple of weeks and it seems that many state premiers of vying to win the title of being 1st to relax certain measures and of course that has not helped in terms of trying to create coherence here in germany and also clarity for people living here and initially and some of the initial ations were implemented a couple of weeks ago there was certainly confusion among many people here in germany as to exactly what they could do where they could do it and where they could and of course at the moment there is still one big national measure in place and that is the obligatory face mask something again we saw a similar pattern last week of each day state by state another state announcing that they too would be making masks obligatory compulsory in shops and on public transport so there's certainly almost a certain degree of peer pressure going on here between. the german states and it seems for now that they have got their way in a taking more responsibility in terms of how they move forward with these restrictions and to what extent they are eased or restricted but of course that comes with the danger as well that we might indeed see a spike over new cases in germany that's something that scientists specially from the robot call institute the public health institute here in germany has been warning of that we could indeed see a 2nd wave of 19 here in germany and that is a risk especially as people will now most likely in the coming weeks come into closer contact with each other with or without months you missed the whole recall institute which is germany's infectious diseases authority in a way and vising the government on all these measures that it is taking that has come under fire as well there were claims that the viral it just has taken over government. does it will that come to an end today. so you don't think it will come to an end the government angler model and the state premiers are still making their decisions very much still being informed by expert opinion but of course this is a debate that we've seen growing in recent weeks if you look back to the beginning of the pandemic 100 days of our if you will now here in germany the 1st case was announced 100 days ago there was a lot more closer cooperation between politicians and experts and especially in recent weeks as it seems that the public has become weary of these restrictions or have been growing calls particularly from politicians to ease the restrictions earlier perhaps than experts and scientists might have been suggesting and often they are legitimate concerns particularly when it comes to care for the elderly and what impact this might be having on people's mental health also people taking care of small children at home as well and the impact that this might have in the long term on social interaction particular for young children and also of course that education says a lot of factors are taken into consideration here but of course in addition to all the societal issues as well one big factor that the german politicians are taking into consideration too is the economic impact of the pandemic so we are certainly seeing the gap growing between the scientific opinion and also what politicians would like to see done in the coming weeks as the economy the great reminders of how badly is the german economy right now. we've seen a huge slump in in recent weeks of course germany has been preparing for this already and and one of the key industries that's been especially affected is the car industry one of the backbones of the german industry and its largest industrial sector too but on top of that of course you have also all of the very small businesses the middle stand companies that have been deemed as one of the great successes for germany's economy as well and so the german government has been working tirelessly to try and make sure that these small businesses and all employees are kept afloat during the pandemic and so far we've seen a financial aid package of some 750000000000 euros hanna signed off by the german government it's a historical amount also many political and financial to booze have been broken here as we saw the german government a few weeks ago taking on more debt for the 1st time in years and of course germany is europe's economic powerhouse the biggest economy in europe so what happens here in germany has huge effects outside of the country as well so because this is a conundrum that the government has been faced with for weeks now trying to get that balance right between making the right decisions for public health but also for the economy in the long jetty of the economy as well. ok you mentioned the germany's function as an economic process especially of course in the european union but there have been concerns for years now that germany lags behind in digitization of for example and that internet speeds are still very slow companies complain about that all the time do you think now that many people have to work from home and successfully worked from home have actually. done video conferencing instead of going to work for the sit in their offices do you think that this crisis has also propelled germany into the 21st century in terms of how work is being done in this country. certainly without doubt and i mean of course that is concerning he says propelled germany into the 21st century considering that where 2 decades in now 20 years in and germany it seems as finally arrived in the 21st century it seemed overnight so many services especially public services well went online many people suddenly working from home and of course this is had huge effects. climate change effects as well there's been a already many studies into the effects that this might have long term as well and how this can continue perhaps people might be able to travel less for word as well we're seeing more and more people using their bikes and walking for example as well also as a measure to try and reduce contact with other people of course instead of taking public transport and many people also keeping their cars at home because they're simply not leaving the home anymore and our instead of working working from home in that so-called home office as it's become known here in germany so cause there could indeed be long term effects and there have been calls as well for the government to seize this chance as well for innovation and investment something that it's a lag behind on for years particularly when it comes to digitalize ation so that could even run through to the car industry the automobile industry which we've already mentioned as well and that's something that come pain as this week we're calling for as the automobile industry met rather met on a conference call with german chancellor angela merkel we had climate protesters here just around the corner from as in front of the chancellor a demanding that the government seizes the chance to invest insists that they nibble mobility rather than investing and propping up the old in dish industrial structures that were in place before the pandemic so this really is in the long run a chance for change and leading german pull politicians have also admitted. but in recent years there simply hasn't been enough investment in digitalize ation in innovation in germany and of course that all ties in to the future of the german economy as well so we could certainly see some long lasting and possibly positive effects come out of this as well. to hear the follow more while we wait. for angela merkel to begin the press conference that should have started more than an hour ago meanwhile we have a look at the u.s. where president donald trump says the country's coronavirus task force is to be wound down observers say it's a sign that ending the pandemic is no longer a top priority for the trump ministration instead the focus now looks set on to shift to reopening the economy the move comes despite some models showing a spike in the number of new infections and deaths in the u.s. the hardest hit is new york meanwhile has taken an unprecedented sub's a historic step in its battle against the virus. this is history in the making. it's not the actual cleaning of the new york subway that is so unusual. it's the fact that it's the 1st time that the system will close during the night so that it can be disinfected. it's a measure of the lengths to which the city is going to protect its citizens. more than one 3rd of the 70000 deaths in the u.s. so far have occurred in the new york metropolitan area. fatalities there now appear to be declining but officials say this operation is set to go on for a while. to get there is that this will last during that during the get down there we don't have that we're not hard for it yet i don't really like your response to that. but elsewhere in the u.s. a different message is starting to emerge. with this song live and let die playing in the background president trump toured a mask factory in arizona it was his 1st major trip out of the white house since the lockdown began. it also coincided with his announcement that the coronavirus task force will be winding down the signal it's time to move on and switch the focus to the economy. our country is now in the next stage of the battle a very safe and gradual reopening so reopening of our country who would have ever thought we were going to be saying that the reopening reopening. some states such as washington have already started to ease restrictions and open parks and other public spaces. but there are concerns that now is not the time to end the lockdown . most models show that outside of new york the rate of infections and this is still going up so the fear is that many more americans could end up paying with their lives. for viewers that were waiting for all americans press on friends lifting. restrictions to start. meanwhile we go to our next report harassment eviction even physical attacks a growing number of health workers caring folk over 1000 patients are reporting such treatment people fearful that they could spread the coronavirus it's a phenomenon that's been reported worldwide from europe to asia to north and south america here's a look at some hospital workers in colombia. is a nurse and. wearing her uniform fills her with pride especially in these trying times but in recent weeks she has repeatedly suffered discriminatory behavior after being identified as hospital staff. i recently had to transfer some money. and the place i went to didn't want to let me in. the lady at the front desk told me she couldn't serve me because i was clearly health. and could be infected. humiliated. and hurt with the situation we're not out to harm anybody. since the pandemic reached colombia numerous doctors and nurses have reported social stigmatization. that won't stop for them supermarkets that won't let them do their shopping. nurse was reportedly beaten on the street and accused of spreading the virus. christiane is a doctor in the city of cali he was evicted after residents in his building demanded he leave fearing he would bring colbert into their homes just in general maybe he told me that people were very scared the tenants threatened to leave if i did in that case they would refuse to pay the cancellation fee saying me moving in hasn't been their choice and that it had put their lives in danger. so the landlady told me that she was sorry but i had to leave because she had to protect their tenants with. cases like those of christiane and liz are fortunately quite rare but even isolated incidents put added pressure on those already carrying society's biggest burden most times it seems to be a common misconception that motivates abuse and people think that the clothes health care workers wear on their way to the hospital are the same garments they were at work. but actually they get a new set once they enter the promises but seeing the uniform is what leads to a 1st level of rejection of the rich as well as hurtful as this rejection might be the good outweighs the bad unexpected expressions of solidarity and gratitude are what keeps liz going. to get snacks in the other day when i was about to get out but a driver didn't want to take my money i was wearing my uniform he told me you don't owe me anything thanks for what you're doing for our society for. us and to those who are still fearful of her and her colleagues she has a clear message. please don't discriminate against his please don't abuses don't attack because because if we are gone who will come out and help you when you need to move. around the world people have also been finding ways to pay tribute to the doctors and nurses working on the front lines to save lives during this pandemic many have done so by applauding health workers nightly over raising funds to support the health systems of one couple in bolivia's comes of the past the best way to thank you central work has as with a home cooked meal. for cooking meals as a family together under lockdown and nestor tech arena and his wife geraldine also naga have found a new cooling along with geraldine's mother movement restrictions came into force in mid march so instead of clocking in for his job as a marketing manager father of 3 and has to spends his day in the kitchen preparing food and this is what's cooking 100 portions of roast chicken and french fries for essential workers doctors nurses disinfection teams and the police. for lizzie a lot of we tell them that the news today is that we've gotten to know we've bought them lunch and they say thank you very much it's a thanks that comes from the soul it's very gratifying if you got. time to get the food to those who need it the cost of the ingredients come out of the couple's own pockets but they say friends have started offering them donations to help. savvy marketer and esther has a snappy slogan for their project taking care of those who care for. us we say mission accomplished at the end of the day we were able to reach a sector that really needed it to feed those who are taking care of me and most importantly taking care of my daughters. what i believe here is planning to ease the lockdown next week but and nestorian geraldine say they want to keep making and delivering their tasty meals to show their thanks. and just remind our viewers german chancellor angela merkel is due to hold a news conference to outline the results of today's easing of lockdown measures while we wait for that to begin let's hear from d.w. political correspondent kate brady who's patiently been waiting here with me for more than an hour photo for this press conference to start this news conference is delayed quite some time as still a lot to be discussed there through the german chancellor and the state premiers right. so many seems the case and from some of the information that's been leaked so far it seems that things have been getting quite tense during that telephone conference today particularly between merkel and against rating of the 16 state premiers here in germany particularly when it comes to whether or not german the german state should be taking a more coordinated stance and when it comes to relaxing the restrictions in place here in germany or whether they should be deciding for themselves and it certainly seems at least according to a draft paper that's been doing the rounds here in germany today that it will be the latter that it will be the german states individually who will be deciding on a lot of the relaxations particularly whe