Germany to go into hard Easter lockdown as Covid-19 infections soar

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday announced a hard five-day lockdown over Easter, as the country battles a sharp rise in new coronavirus infections.

Almost all shops will be closed over the Easter period from April 1 to 5, and no more than five people over the age of 14 from two households can gather. Grocery stores would be allowed to open for one day only, on Saturday, April 3. The country's general lockdown measures will also be extended until April 18, Merkel said. Germans have been living under various levels of restrictions since mid-December.