Nations credited with fast response to coronavirus moving to gradually reopen businesses

BERLIN — Several countries moved ahead or laid out plans for the gradual reopening of their economies this week, signaling cautious optimism by their governments that measures to combat the virus are working.

Germany and South Korea — which have both been credited as role models in handling the outbreak in their respective regions — are slowly reversing some of the restrictions put in place weeks ago, embarking on a cautious and long path back to normality that could serve as a template for other nations.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, however, extended a lockdown on Monday but did so amid mounting hopes that the country can eliminate the virus by tracing transmissions and preventing new infections.

At this point, that remains a far-fetched scenario in much of Europe, where the number of coronavirus deaths surpassed 100,000 this weekend. Many European nations, including the Britain and France, remain under a tight lockdown and are expected to stay under heavy restrictions for weeks to come.

Unemployment could almost double, as tens of millions of European jobs on the continent are at risk, according to the McKinsey consulting firm.

Officials in the euro zone's biggest economy, Germany, appeared ready to move in the opposite direction on Monday, allowing many nonessential businesses in most federal states to reopen, including car dealers, book stores, zoos and electronics retailers. Restaurants, bars and most larger stores will remain closed.

With a relatively low debt burden after years of economic growth, Germany would have had more leeway to shoulder the burden of a prolonged lockdown than many other E.U. countries, but so far a relatively low coronavirus death toll has encouraged officials to agree to a cautious easing of rules.

At least 4,642 people have died of the virus in Germany. By comparison, France has only a slightly higher number of confirmed infections but more than four times the number of deaths — a difference health analysts have partially explained with more extensive testing and other mitigation efforts introduced in Germany early on.

As is the case in other parts of Europe, Germany's partial reopening comes amid warnings from officials that a full return to normality is still far off, however. Last week, Spain allowed some workers to resume operations, even though it extended the restrictions that have kept citizens locked inside their homes for weeks. And while Austria reopened many shops, it also stepped up rules on the use of face masks in public settings.

On Monday, Denmark and the Czech Republic followed suit and similarly reopened some smaller stores, while Norway is allowing children back into kindergartens and Poland made parks and forests accessible again.

In South Korea, the government went further, opting to lift closure advisories on high-risk venues like churches, bars and sporting facilities. South Korea's death toll from the virus is at 236, making the country's fatality rate one of the lowest among countries with major outbreaks and the number of new infections was below 100 for the 19th day in row on Monday.

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun announced on Sunday that while the social distancing policy will be extended for another 16 days, guidelines will be eased.

"Now that online classes and work-from-home has become a new normal, we have the room to consider balancing infection control and economic activities," Chung told a governmental meeting on Monday. Schools remain shut as classes went online, while many businesses still work remotely.

While daily infection numbers dwindled from hundreds to dozens over the past few weeks, risks from small outbreaks still remain, Health Minister Park Neung-hoo told a briefing on Sunday, citing major public activities recently such as the election last Wednesday.

It was the same fear of new outbreaks that has compelled the government of New Zealand on Monday to extend its strict lockdown — which was to end at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday — for another five days, despite good results in its drive to eliminate the coronavirus.

New Zealand followed a "go hard, go early" strategy that involved shutting borders and locking down the country while the number of cases remained low. As a result, its transmission rate — the number of cases each person with the virus passes it onto — is now 0.48, compared with an international average of 2.5 people, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.

The Health Ministry reported Monday that nine new cases had been found, taking the nationwide total to 1,440, more than two-thirds of whom have recovered. Twelve people have died, all in their 70s or older.

From Tuesday next week, workplaces that can maintain physical distance between workers and customers will be allowed to reopen, but for most people this will mean they have to continue to work and study at home and limit outside contacts.

Ardern, the prime minister, said Monday that she didn't want to undo the efforts made by "our team of 5 million" people to break the chain of transmission, and risk having to "yo-yo" between levels of restrictions.

"I couldn't feel prouder of the start we have made together. But I also feel a huge responsibility to ensure that we do not lose any of the gains we have made either," she said in a televised news conference, echoing the difficult choices governments around the world are now facing.

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The Washington Post’s Anna Fifield in Havelock North, New Zealand, and Min Joo Kim in Seoul contributed to this report.