Outbreaks in Germany, S. Korea show the risks in easing up

Source: AP

By NICOLE WINFIELD, VANESSA GERA and JOE McDONALD

ROME (AP) — South Korea’s capital closed down more than 2,100 bars and other nightspots Saturday because of a new cluster of coronavirus infections, and Germany scrambled to contain fresh outbreaks at slaughterhouses, underscoring the dangers authorities face as they try to reopen their economies.

Elsewhere, Belarus, which has not locked down despite increasing case numbers, saw tens of thousands of people turn out to mark Victory Day, the anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat in 1945. That was in contrast to Russia, where a muted event took place over an empty Red Square.

Around the world, the U.S. and other hard-hit countries are wrestling with how to ease curbs on business and public activity without touching off a deadly second wave of infection.

Germany and South Korea have both carried out extensive testing and contact tracing and have been hailed for avoiding the mass deaths that have overwhelmed other countries. But even there, authorities have struggled with finding the balance between saving lives and saving jobs.



People enjoy a drink in Rome's fashionable Campo De' Fiori Square, as the city is slowly returning to life after the long shutdown due to the coronavirus outbreak, Friday, May 8, 2020. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)


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