Germany

BERLIN/WASHINGTON, April 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US has been accused of redirecting 200,000 Germany-bound masks for its own use, in a move condemned as “modern piracy”.

The local government in Berlin said the shipment of US-made masks was “confiscated” in Bangkok.

The FFP2 masks, which were ordered by Berlin’s police force, did not reach their destination, it said.

Andreas Geisel, Berlin’s interior minister, said the masks were presumably diverted to the US.

BERLIN (Reuters) - Euro zone states that need aid from the bloc’s bailout fund to tackle the economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak should get it quickly without being subjected to lengthy visits and policy proposals from officials, Germany’s finance minister said.

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht told Deutschlandfunk radio on Tuesday that tracking apps to help tackle coronavirus could only be used voluntarily in Germany, where people are deeply suspicious of digital surveillance.

“It’s a real infringement if I have such data so I can only agree with everyone who says that if there is such a solution that actually breaks the chains of infection, it’s only possible if those who have it on their mobile phones and so use it do so voluntarily,” Lambrecht said.

BERLIN (Reuters) - Keeping firms closed for more than two months due to the coronavirus outbreak could cost the German state of Bavaria between 49-94 billion euros ($54-104 billion), Germany’s Ifo institute said on Tuesday.

That would shave up to 15 percentage points off economic growth in the state for the full year, added the institute.

It also said if businesses in the state are shut for three months, the costs would balloon to 68-138 billion euros - and would take up to 22.1% off economic growth.

29 Mar 2020; MEMO: German Chancellor Angela Merkel is claimed to have rejected Israeli President Binyamin Netanyahu’s demand for medical respirators, amid the deadly coronavirus outbreak, Anadolu reports.

In a recent phone call between Netanyahu and Merkel, Israel has demanded medical respirators from Germany in the fight with coronavirus, according to Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth’s story.

The news claimed that Merkel rejected the demand, but did not give further details.

BERLIN (AP) — In her first address to the nation on the coronavirus pandemic, German Chancellor Angela Merkel calmly appealed to citizens’ reason and discipline to slow the spread of the virus, acknowledging as a woman who grew up in communist East Germany how difficult it is to give up freedoms, yet as a trained scientist emphasizing that the facts don’t lie.

Berlin, Mar 28 (AFP/PTI) With families across Europe confined to their homes to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, fears are rising of a surge in domestic violence.

From Berlin to Paris, Madrid, Rome and Bratislava, associations that help victims of domestic violence have sounded the alarm after Europe overtook China to become the epicentre of the pandemic.

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Germans have been largely compliant with rules to prevent the spread of coronavirus, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Saturday, as confirmed cases in the country continued to rise and her chief of staff said the shutdown would not be eased before April 20.

BERLIN, March 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — German customs officials are attempting to track down about 6 million face masks ordered to protect health workers from the coronavirus which went missing at an airport in Kenya.

“The authorities are trying to find out what happened,” said a defence ministry spokeswoman, confirming a report first published by Spiegel Online.

BERLIN (Reuters) - German business morale tumbled in March to its lowest level since 2009, a survey showed on Wednesday, with an Ifo institute economist saying Europe’s largest economy could contract by as much as 20% this year due to the impact of the coronavirus.

The Ifo institute said final results from its March survey showed that its business climate index slumped to 86.1 from 96.0 in February.

“This is the steepest fall recorded since German reunification and the lowest value since July 2009,” Ifo President Clemens Fuest said in a statement.