Germany is the latest European nation to begin the process of restarting normal life, but chancellor Angela Merkel warned the process would take time. The federal government has decreed that stores with sales area of up to 800 sqm will be allowed to open beginning April 20, but it will be up to the individual regions to make the final decision on timing. Bavaria, which was hit extremely hard by the pandemic, is not expected to make full use of this permission and will limit the openings to stores of up to 200 sqm. Merkel also called on Germans to wear facial coverings whenever they were in public. Large events will be banned until the end of August, meaning that music festivals will have to be cancelled. Car dealership, bike stores and book stores will be allowed to open regardless of their size. Germany also decided to leave its current border controls in place for another 20 days rather than allowing them to expire on April 14.
