Germany

The days of shelling out €25 or even €50 ($30-60) for a rapid test may be numbered. The latest pandemic plan agreed to late Wednesday between Chancellor Angela Merkel and 16 state leaders, puts forward a complex, step-by-step guide to moving Germany out of lockdown. But little can happen without sufficient testing. The federal government is expected to start picking up the tab for rapid tests starting next week. Every person in Germany will be entitled to a weekly test, either from a test center, medical practice, or place of work, administered by trained personnel. Schools and day cares are a particular focus, as a means of getting kids and teachers safely and regularly back in the classroom. Watch video 01:52 Share Business pins hopes on coronavirus self-test Send Facebook Twitter reddit EMail Facebook Messenger Web Whatsapp Web Telegram linkedin Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3qB8v Business pins hopes … [Read more...] about Germany starts COVID testing drive in bid to end lockdown

German health officials have U-turned on the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and recommended it is safe for use on over-65s. The German health ministry said on Thursday that its independent vaccine committee has now formally approved the COVID-19 jab for use in that age group. It comes after disproved claims in Europe that the jab was as little as 8% effective among the elderly. Live COVID updates from the UK and around the world German health officials have also said that delaying the second dose of the Oxford jab by 12 weeks - as the UK is doing - increases its efficacy. Advertisement Health minister Jens Spahn said the change in position is "good news for older people who are waiting for a vaccination", adding: "They will get vaccinated faster." Germany had previously claimed that there was not enough reliable efficacy data to allow the AstraZeneca jab to be used on the over-65s. More from Covid-19 COVID-19: 'Light at … [Read more...] about COVID-19: Germany U-turns on Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and recommends it for over-65s

The German airline Lufthansa on Thursday announced a record loss of €6.7 billion ($8 billion) in the COVID-19-stricken year of 2020. That compared with a profit of €1.2 billion for 2019. CEO Carsten Spohr described the pandemic year as "the most challenging in the history of our company." Thousands of flight cancellations and travel restrictions because of the coronavirus crisis meant the airline reported a loss of nearly €5.6 billion for the first nine months of the year . The German, Belgian, Austrian and Swiss governments propped up the company with some €9 billion in 2020 . Since then, the German government has been the largest individual shareholder in the airline. Watch video 01:50 Share Breakthrough: Shareholders greenlight Lufthansa bailout Send Facebook Twitter reddit EMail Facebook Messenger Web Whatsapp Web Telegram linkedin Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3eLJg From June 2020: Shareholders … [Read more...] about Germany’s Lufthansa announces record losses for 2020

G erman exports to the UK plunged by almost a third in the first month under post-Brexit trading arrangements, new figures have revealed. The end of the Brexit transition period was blamed by Germany’s official statistics body for a 30pc year-on-year plunge in exports to the UK in January but economists predicted the trade slump will ease. New customs rules for exporters exacerbated a tumble in trade already triggered by the Covid crisis amid complaints of post-Brexit arrangements causing higher costs and delays for businesses. January’s drop compares to a 15.5pc fall in imports from Germany over 2020 but the latest slump in trade was still not as severe as the worst months of the first lockdown. The tumble in German imports at the start of the UK’s life outside the EU was also worsened by many businesses stockpiling in December as Brexit talks went down to the wire. “We expected very weak eurozone exports to the UK for January, in part due to teething problems at the … [Read more...] about German exports to UK fell 30pc in January

Coronavirus vaccines that have been tweaked to deal with new variants of the disease will be fast-tracked for authorisation, the UK regulator has said. According to new guidance, manufacturers must provide robust evidence that the modified jab triggers an immune response, but lengthier clinical studies that don't offer data on safety or effectiveness won't be required. Live COVID updates from the UK and around the world Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Hancock: 'We must be vigilant on variants' The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) says researchers are now in a better position to measure immunity against COVID-19 by monitoring antibodies after vaccination. It claims this will "significantly reduce" the amount of time it takes to get a tweaked jab approved and ready for use. Advertisement And it also means the three-phase safety trials required for the original coronavirus … [Read more...] about COVID-19: UK to fast-track modified coronavirus vaccines designed to combat new variants