Germany will not ease lockdown until at least April 20, says report

Germany will not ease measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus before at least April 20, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief of staff told a German newspaper.

“We are not talking about any easing before April 20,” Helge Braun told Tagesspiegel’s online edition on Saturday, adding that well before April 20 Germany would decide on which restrictions might be relaxed from that date.

Germany in mid March closed schools, shops, restaurants, playgrounds and sports facilities and many companies have stopped production to help slow the spread of the disease.

“In Germany, I currently have the impression that the population follows the rules in an