Germany has been advised to reopen its schools and stores following the coronavirus pandemic.
Leopoldina, Germany’s equivalent of the National Academy of Sciences, has recommended that the country relax its lockdown rules and begin to reopen some schools, stores, and restaurants, according to the Local.
Chancellor Angela Merkel will decide whether to extend Germany’s lockdown on Wednesday.
The academy has recommended that primary and middle schools open as soon as possible, but warned that secondary schools might need to use distance learning initially.
The researchers have also endorsed the widespread use of face masks, saying citizens should be required to wear masks in public.
“Every citizen should in the future have this type of protection for their mouth and nose and wear it each time social distancing measures can’t be respected,” the academy’s Gerald Haug told Der Spiegel.
The lifting of restrictions would also require a significant increase in testing, as most COVID-19 virus tests in Germany are only given to symptomatic people, not asymptomatic citizens.
The report calls for people to volunteer cellphone data as it will “substantially improve the collection of data on the infection and immunity status of the population.” Researchers stressed the importance of gaining public support for the measures, stressing that fines for violating rules should not be a primary means of enforcement. Instead, the strategy must focus on personal responsibility.
President Trump has been itching for the United States to get back to work. The White House will announce a committee to examine ways to reopen the economy, while groups of regional governors have announced plans to examine how and when the economy can reopen.
As of Tuesday morning, there have been more than 130,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Germany and 3,200 deaths.
