Germany:Merkel drops Easter shutdown plan, apologizes

In Germany, the proposed Easter lockdown has been dropped. German Chancellor Angela Merkel dropped plans for a five-day shutdown over Easter, which had prompted confusion and criticism. She called the idea a mistake and apologized to Germans. Chancellor Angela Merkel asked the German people for forgiveness after making a rare public apology for sparking massive criticism with plans for a five-day Easter shutdown. Merkel dropped the proposal, calling it a “mistake,” after a hastily-arranged video conference with the heads of Germany’s 16 states around 33 hours after announcing the move. She defended one of Germany’s toughest steps since the start of the pandemic but said there wasn’t enough time to implement properly.

“To be absolutely clear, this mistake is solely and alone my mistake as in the end I am the one who carries the final responsibility,” she said on Wednesday. “I deeply regret this and ask all citizens for forgiveness.” The Easter lockdown was the only fresh initiative after more than 11 hours of tense discussions that ended early Tuesday. The plan spurred widespread criticism, caught officials off guard and created confusion over the implementation. Germany has struggled to lay out a clear plan in the face of a fresh surge in Covid-19 cases and amid a sluggish vaccination campaign. That’s causing public frustration over the government’s handling of the crisis to grow just six months before a national election.