Saturday, March 28, 2020

Chancellor's Podcast

A podcast came out this morning from Chancellor Merkel.  The basic message?

1.  She's had the second negative result on the virus test, and will conduct the full 14-day home-quarantine....for 'safety' reasons.

2.  She stressed that it's been a helpful thing for Germans to conduct the curfew business. 

3.  Finally, the daily numbers for infections haven't reached the level yet to curtail the curfew business.  Her hint is that the stringent rules have to continue for at least ten more days.  That would put it near 12 April (Easter weekend).

What happens then?  Unknown.  Business-wise, it's hard to see this ban and curfew business going for another three months.  Maybe the airlines and airport business could continue, with serious damage done.....but for the rest of the German economic system, it's not developed to handle a lengthy of a shut-down. 

You can look around at a simple beauty shop with a owner and two employees....there's not much optimism over a long-shut-down.  Same for bars which used to see sixty customers for an evening. 

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