How to come out of lockdown? Follow Germany’s lead

It looks likely that the country will progressively resume normal life, creating a template for the US and the rest of Europe, writes Hamish McRae

Angela Merkel has spent the past week considering a step-by-step reopening (Reuters)

The world is starting to get back to work, and the best guides for how to do so are coming from China and, in a few days’ time, Germany.

In the US, the New York governor Andrew Cuomo has formed a task force with five other states to figure out how to reopen the economy of the northeast, while on the west coast Gavin Newsom, governor of California, has joined with his counterparts in Washington and Oregon to work together, too.

In Europe, there have been a number of small steps. The Czech Republic has eased social distancing; Denmark reopens primary schools today; Austria has started to reopen smaller shops; Spain has made a start on getting people back to work, too.