MERKEL URGES ‘SMART OPENING MOVES’ TO DETER 3RD COVID WAVE

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for a step-by-step and controlled easing of coronavirus restrictions to prevent a third wave of infections, Rachel More and Laura Dubois reported for Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa).

"It depends on us and smart opening moves whether we will get through the pandemic without a strong third wave - or if we are too careless and perhaps will have rising numbers again," Merkel said in an interview with broadcaster ZDF.

Merkel and the nation's 16 state premiers agreed on Wednesday to prolong the months-long lockdown until March 7, with some key exceptions for hairdressers and schools. She added the earlier opening of schools was already "a bold step."

It is up to state governments to decide when to send children back into classrooms, with many set to take that step as soon as February 22.

A strong majority of people in Germany support the decision to extend coronavirus lockdown measures, according to the results of a survey published on Friday. Seventy-two per cent of those polled by Forsa in a study commissioned by the RTL and ntv broadcasters supported this decision, while a quarter were against.

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