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Germany eases coronavirus restrictions on shops

Europe's biggest economy, Germany, has taken some tentative steps towards normality.

Europe's biggest economy, Germany, has taken some tentative steps towards normality. Shops up to 800 square metres in size are allowed to reopen, and Philip Frese, who runs a bed and mattress shop in Freiburg, tells us what it's like to be open again. Meanwhile Germany's central bank has said the country is likely to be in a severe recession. We get analysis from Peter Bofinger, professor of economics at Wurzburg University, and a former member of the German Council of Economic Experts. Also in the programme, we speak to domestic workers in several parts of the world to find out what impact coronavirus lockdowns have had on them, and ask what can be done to help, with Claire Hobden of the International Labour Organisation. Plus, with theatres around the world shut down because of social distancing, some companies have put some of their previous performances online for all to watch. Lisa Burger is joint chief executive of the National Theatre in the UK, and tells us about the plays they're streaming, and why they've chosen to do it.

(Picture: Shoppers queue outside a reopened German bookshop. Picture credit: Getty Images.)

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27 minutes

Last on

Mon 20 Apr 2020 14:32GMT

Broadcast

  • Mon 20 Apr 2020 14:32GMT