Angela Merkel said Friday April 3 that the slowdown in the spread of the new coronavirus currently observed in Germany brings " little hope ", while considering premature any relaxation of the restrictions.
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" It's true the latest figures from the Robert Koch Institute, as high as they are, very cautiously bring some hope, " said the Chancellor in her weekly podcast.
Institute President Lothar Wieler said on Friday that the spread of Covid-19 has slowed down, he said as a result of restrictive measures that are starting to pay off in Europe's largest economy. " We see that the spread of the virus is slowing down (...) We see that it works, " he said at a press conference.
For a few days, a person carrying the virus has been infecting on average only another person, he explained, and this " reproduction rate " seems to be " stabilizing ". In recent weeks, 5 or even 7 people have been infected on average by a single individual carrying Covid-19.
" If this rate drops below 1 ", clearly if a person infects less than another person on average, " then the epidemic will slowly decrease. This is our goal, "he added, saying he hoped to achieve it" in the days to come "and urging the Germans to continue to observe the rules of containment.
Germany has not decreed strict containment like France or Italy, but all schools and most stores are closed. Everyone is invited to work at home when possible and gatherings of more than two people in public space are prohibited.
All of these measures are in effect at least until April 19.
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