The Latest: German official warns against quick reopening

Germany’s health minister has welcomed a decline in new COVID-19 cases, but says Germans need to endure weeks or a few months of restrictions

BERLIN — Germany’s health minister has welcomed a decline in new COVID-19 cases, but says Germans need to endure “weeks or a few months” of restrictions. Germany’s seven-day rolling average of daily new cases declined over the past two weeks, from almost 25 cases per 100,000 people on April 22 to 19 cases per 100,000 people on May 6. Health Minister Jens Spahn said Friday that efforts to reduce social contacts and travel had helped push down the number of infections in recent weeks. He also cited the rapid increase in vaccinations in the country.