Germany and the Coronavirus: 28 March 2020

1.  Dead:   306 (Focus Numbers)    Infected:  48,354 (Focus Numbers).  Baden-Wurettemberg (SW of Germany) now leads with deaths (101), #2 in infections (9,729). 

2.  RTL reports that the German city of Minden has prepared a gym with cots, and if you are on the bad-boy list.....not cooperating on the quarantine rules, you will be forced into the gym (to be guarded). 

3.  Stuck in Australia presently?  ARD had a piece that discussed the problems of Germans who missed the opportunity to fly back.  Right now.....to get a flight arrangement from Sydney....it's 14,000 Euro per person (one-way, tourist-class).  Some Germans are desperate enough to do this....by taking out a loan. 

4. The tourist agency TUI is being granted a 1.8 billion Euro zero-interest loan....to help them get by during the crisis.  Thousands of Germans work for TUI throughout Germany in travel-arrangement shops.

5.  There is a suggestion that the stringent measures in place in Germany.....will be relaxed shortly after 20 April.  There is a belief that Germany is about to peak-out.

6.  Lufthansa is putting 31,000 employees on 'short-time' work (meaning they get a government check, for roughly two-thirds of their regular pay).  New extension tied to the 'short-work' concept.....going up to 12 months was the norm, but with the new rule....it's 24 months.  For most of the bottom-level of employees....it's marginally enough to pay rent and basic bills.  You'd have to go and find a 450-mini-job to sooth the financial issues. 

7.  360,000 applications for emergency support for German small business operations have been received by the government.  Funding will be sent out to help them survive.

8.  Within the state of Hessen.....500 Coronavirus individuals are in the hospitals but a minimum of 10,000 beds are still open and ready (if required).

9.  HR (regional public TV for Hessen) reported that around 60,000 individuals were part of the commercial soccer situation in Frankfurt, and they are suffering from the loss of the games. 

10.  Focus reports that in the Lombardy area of Italy (northern region)....51 Italian doctors are now dead from the virus.

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