Author: Spiegel.de

Faced with a growing economic crisis, many European Union member states are clamoring for the introduction of so-called corona bonds. Just like it was in the euro crisis, though, Germany is opposed. In the end, Berlin may not have a choice. By DER SPIEGEL Staff

The German government’s rejection of eurobonds is selfish, small-minded and cowardly. Existing mechanisms will not be enough to contain the crisis we are facing. We need to act now.

In an interview, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio calls for greater solidarity among Europeans and for the EU to come up with an aid package comparable to the one recently passed in the United States.

The coronavirus pandemic has inflicted massive damage on the aviation industry. But Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr says that the German flag carrier is in a good position to survive, even if it will take several years for the industry to recover.

The coronavirus is forcing us to keep our distance from other people. Yet these extraordinary times have also brought forth moments of warmth and solidarity. People are offering each other words of encouragement and banding together to fight their loneliness.

European researchers have developed a new technology aimed at slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus. Called PEPP-PT, it has been designed to conform with EU data privacy rules. Its developers spoke with DER SPIEGEL about the app.

The corona crisis has hit the German economy at full force. Already, 470,000 applications have been filed for a German government subsidy that prevents employees from getting laid off, 20 times more than the previous record during the 2009 financial crisis.

Every day, tens of thousands people in Germany seek to get tested for the novel coronavirus. Often, though, they run up against a lack of testing capacity. And it is likely to only get worse. By DER SPIEGEL Staff

Some in Germany have the impression that the country can survive a long-term lockdown without suffering any grave consequences. That thinking is dangerous.

The Austrian winter-sports mecca of Ischgl is well known for its parties. But after helping spread the virus across Europe, the town’s reputation is changing to one of incompetence and greed.

Twelve weeks after the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic in China, leaders in Beijing are gradually reopening the country. But how can they be sure their decision won’t backfire?

How deadly is the coronavirus? How much of the population has already been infected? How widespread is immunity? The models politicians are relying on to make radical decisions in the COVID-19 crisis aren’t always 100 percent reliable.

The fight against the coronavirus has paralyzed society and the economy. Lockdown measures are fine for the short term, but they threaten to rapidly destroy the economy and erode our existing social order. What should the next steps be?

Drägerwerk is a world leader in the production of ventilators. In an interview, company head Stefan Dräger, 57, discusses the challenges of keeping up with current demand as the corona crisis accelerates.

The danger of a new euro crisis is growing. Weak member states like Italy need help if they’re going to survive the coronavirus lockdown financially. But the call for euro bonds has been met with stiff resistance — especially from the Germans.

The novel coronavirus poses a deadly threat to the indigenous peoples in the Amazon rainforest. But Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is doing nothing to protect them, says the former head of the government authority responsible for their protection.

One EU country after the other is moving to restrict public life. The Dutch government has opted for less drastic measures, hoping for herd immunity and relying on the common sense of its people. But the country has still had to make adjustments to its policies.

In Spain, the number of coronavirus deaths is climbing faster than in Italy. Dr. Inés Lipperheide is fighting to save her patients in an overcrowded intensive care unit. She reports conditions straight out of a “horror film.”

The gravest threat posed by the coronavirus is that high-risk groups like the elderly and other high-risk groups will get infected by it. The pressure on staffs at nursing homes is growing. Some patient advocates are calling for emergency contingency plans. Are the facilities safe enough for the people living in them?

Following a dispute between foreign ministers, the G-7 nations this week failed to agree on a joint statement because the Americans insisted on using a dubious name for describing the coronavirus.

The coronavirus pandemic poses a threat to our society, warns medical ethicist Christiane Woopen, the chair of the high-level European ethics body. In an interview, she explains how doctors decide which seriously ill patients to treat and the perils the disease creates for society as a whole.

The European Commission is limited in what it can do to combat the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, but this only makes it more imperative for Brussels to set the correct priorities.

Family members aren’t allowed into hospitals nor can they take part in funerals. Crematoriums are overloaded. The horrors of coronavirus still have a firm hold on northern Italy.

It is an unprecedented crisis: The coronavirus pandemic is crippling entire economies, while governments and central banks are deploying all means available to prevent a systemic collapse. How long can we hold out?

The German chancellor is staying home after being exposed to a doctor who tested positive for the coronavirus. A first test came back negative, but Merkel will keep governing remotely for the time being. What does Germany’s line of succession look like, and who would jump in if Merkel gets sick?

The German cabinet on Monday agreed to an unprecedented aid package to prop up the country’s economy as the coronavirus pandemic takes hold. Parliament is set to approve the package later this week.

With the wave of coronavirus infections washing over Europe, countries have turned inward to protect themselves. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has struggled to define the EU’s role in the crisis as border checks have been reintroduced across the Continent.

Germany’s federal and state governments have agreed to further tighten restrictions on public life. Here’s an overview of what’s now allowed and what’s not.

The German health-care system is considered one of the best in the world. But the coronavirus is mercilessly exposing its weaknesses, with some hospitals already facing difficulties. Can Germany prevent the kind of collapse seen in Italy?

The first human trials for a new coronavirus vaccine have already started as myriad laboratories are pursuing a number of different strategies to stop the disease. But initial results aren’t expected for several months.

Helge Braun, 47, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief of staff, speaks with DER SPIEGEL about the rapidly rising number of coronavirus infections and about whether more stringent measures will have to be implemented.

The head of Angela Merkel’s Chancellery has warned that people’s behavior this weekend will be pivotal in determining whether strict shelter-in-place curfews are imposed in Germany to control the spread of the coronavirus.

As European countries and the U.S. seal off their borders and turn inward in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus, China is sending aid around the world. What the world really needs, though, is a coordinated response.

Am I required to work if I can’t find alternative childcare with daycare centers now closed? Will I still get my salary? What happens to my health insurance? Answers to the most pressing questions about labor law in times of the coronavirus.

Many countries in Eastern Europe are taking drastic measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 — in part because their health-care systems may not be up to the task.

Freelancers and small companies are getting hit especially hard by the corona crisis. DER SPIEGEL has learned that the federal government is planning a massive financial aid package. It would mark the end of Germany’s balanced budget policy.

Inaccurate claims and potentially dangerous medical advice is spreading in Africa even faster that the coronavirus itself. This “infodemic” could have disastrous consequences.

Bergamo is the epicenter of the corona crisis in Europe right now. Close to 400 people have died there. In an interview, Mayor Giorgio Gori describes the harrowing developments in local hospitals and warns Germany and other countries of what they are facing.

Amid the current public health crisis, hospitals and grocery stores have a growing demand for more security personnel. The guards will help to limit access to buildings — and stop possible fights over goods.

In refugee camps around the world, large numbers of people live together in close quarters. Aid workers are trying to prevent a COVID-19 outbreak by implementing strict rules. Doctors warn they face an impossible task.

The small-mindedness and competitive thinking within its member states and the lack of a concerted response to the coronavirus has revealed an uncomfortable truth: Solidarity within the European Union is a far-off dream. Once the pandemic passes, we will have to rethink the whole thing.

As many as 10 million people in Germany could become infected with the new coronavirus in the next few months if stringent preventative measures aren’t observed by everyone, the head of Germany’s center for disease control warned on Wednesday.

To free up capacity for coronavirus patients, the German government has urged hospitals to postpone nonessential operations and procedures. Many haven’t done so yet, but say they are preparing ventilation stations for the inevitable arrival of the sick.

Just as Volkswagen was undergoing a radical restructuring to focus on e-mobility and driverless cars, the company has announced it is shutting down factories across Europe due to the coronavirus. There is hope in China, however.

Tourists from around Europe became infected with the coronavirus in Austria’s Paznaun Valley. Despite mounting evidence, the lifts and bars stayed open until just a few days ago.

With supply chains suffering from reduced freight capacity due to flight cancellations, Lufthansa is planning to step into the void. Airlifts are also planned to pick up Germans stranded abroad.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Germany is rising rapidly. The country’s center for disease control has now increased its risk rating for the spread of the coronavirus from “moderate” to “high” and even “very high” in some areas.

First Saarland and Bavaria, followed by Berlin and North Rhine-Westphalia: Almost all schools and daycare centers are being closed in Germany to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Here’s an overview of the current status in each state.

As if Donald Trump’s disastrous crisis management weren’t enough, Republicans are now trying to get conspiracy theorists elected to Congress. Denying reality when there’s a pandemic at hand? Not a great idea.

What is it like for medical personnel on the front lines of the COVID-19 fight? DER SPIEGEL spoke with some of them about the immense challenges they are facing.