German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday that the country will slowly start reopening the economy next week as the coronavirus pandemic continues.
Germany has effectively been locked down for a month, with schools and nonessential business closed.
Merkel says some small, nonessential businesses can start to reopen Monday under strict regulations. Older students could head back to school starting May 4, and younger students will follow behind gradually.
But life won't be able to go back to normal right away. Merkel said: "We cannot return to the life we were accustomed to before the epidemic. Instead, we must learn how we can live with the epidemic for a long time to come."
Social distancing rules will remain in effect, and bars and restaurants will stay closed. The country will continue its ban on large gatherings until at least Aug. 31.
In a report published by the Munich Ifo Institute for Economic Research, a group of experts says the restrictions have forced Germany's economy to lose hundreds of billions of euros and have put a strain on the national budget.
The experts say the economy must reopen carefully and slowly, warning a vaccine for the coronavirus probably won't be ready this year.
