Germany may offer fund; Italy cases fall

BERLIN - Germany's restaurant sector may need a rescue fund if the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic lasts longer than expected, the country's Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said on Tuesday.

The government has already made loans and a short-time work scheme available to the sector and leaders of Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition have agreed to reduce sales tax on meals to 7 percent for a year, Altmaier said.

"As economy minister, I am saying if, contrary to expectations, it (the lockdown) lasts a long time until a full opening is possible, we will have to reconsider aid. Then we would need something like a rescue fund for gastronomy," he told ZDF television.

The pandemic had infected 156,337 people in Germany and claimed 5,913 lives as of Tuesday, according to the Robert Koch Institute, a federal disease control agency.

A total of 10.3 million face masks were flown from China to Germany on Monday by Bundeswehr, the German Federal Armed Forces.

The Bundeswehr was planning to transport a total of 25 million "urgently needed" face masks to the country, German Minister of Defense Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer announced on Twitter.

Theses masks would be distributed across Germany's states, as in most German states, face masks or an equivalent mouth-and-nose cover became mandatory on Monday when people travel by bus or train or go shopping.

Across Europe, the novel coronavirus had infected 1,246,947 people and killed 123,225 as of Tuesday, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Lowest day-to-day rise

But hard-hit Italy registered its lowest day-to-day increase in new cases since the first day the nation was put under lockdown.

According to the Italian health ministry, 1,739 new cases were confirmed in the 24-hour period ending Monday evening. Italy had reported 199,414 cases and 26,977 deaths as of Monday.

In the United Kingdom, a further 360 people died in hospitals, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Monday, taking the total death toll to 21,092.

The British government on Monday announced a new fast-track finance scheme providing loans with a 100 percent government-backed guarantee for small businesses.

Under the loan scheme small businesses can apply for Bounce Back Loans up to a maximum of 50,000 pounds ($62,073), or 25 percent of turnover, with the government paying the interest for the first 12 months.

In Portugal, the authorities may soon ease its lockdown, but widespread use of protective equipment will be essential and the country does not rule out "taking a step back" if the situation worsens, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Monday.

During a visit to one of the hundreds of textile firms reorienting to produce protective gear, he said face masks would likely be obligatory in certain locations such as schools and public transport.

Portugal had reported 24,027 cases and 928 deaths as of Monday, according to health authorities.

In France, the death toll crossed 23,000 on Monday, according to health authorities.

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe was scheduled to reveal on Tuesday how the country planned on May 11 to lift its six-week lockdown, with cafes set to stay shut but schools being allowed to reopen.

Xinhua - Agencies