The Latest: Shops, schools reopening in Germany, Denmark

The Latest: Shops, schools reopening in Germany, Denmark

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The Latest on the coronavirus pandemic. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.

TOP OF THE HOUR:

— Lockdown tensions grow as people seek to resume work or play.

— Germany begins restarting public life after four weeks of lockdown.

— Denmark takes another step in easing lockdown measures.

— Singapore reports record day in tally of new coronavirus cases.

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BERLIN — Some shops are reopening in much of Germany as Europe’s biggest economy takes its first tentative step toward restarting public life after a four-week shutdown.

Shops with a surface area of up to 800 square meters (8,600 square feet) are being allowed to reopen on Monday, along with auto showrooms, bike shops and bookshops of any size, under an agreement reached last week between the federal and state governments.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief of staff, Helge Braun, told n-tv television that big shops “draw large numbers of people into the city center, they have high customer numbers and that isn’t possible in the first step.”

State governments are responsible for imposing and loosening shutdown measures, and there are regional variations. Berlin and neighboring Brandenburg are expected to reopen small shops later this week. The eastern state of Thuringia is waiting until next Monday. So is Bavaria, although it is allowing DIY and garden shops to reopen Monday.

The eastern state of Saxony is the only one so far to require that people wear face masks in shops and on public transport.

A few states also are starting high school finishing exams, though schools aren’t expected to start...

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