Merkel: It is too Soon to Speak of Relaxing the Coronavirus Lockdown

AP, BERLIN – German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she´s as anxious as anyone for life to return to normal in the country.

Merkel says “we´re still living in the pandemic” and now isn´t the time to talk about an end date to restrictive measures.

Merkel says “we would be a bad government if we did not intensively, day and night, consider how we can take steps to return to ordinary life while still protecting health.”

But, she adds she would be considered `a bad chancellor, and we´d be a bad government,´ if she set an immediate date to end restrictions.

European officials are scheduled to hold a video conference Tuesday to discuss the crisis and Merkel said the European Union was “facing its greatest test since its founding” that has hit every nation.

“Everyone has been affected and therefore it is in everyone´s interest, and in Germany´s interest, that Europe emerges stronger from this test.”