Germany to end national ‘epidemic’ situation next month

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — The German parliament will not extend the “epidemic situation of national scope” when it expires next month, but will keep in place certain measures to check the spread of the coronavirus. Leading members of the country’s parliament, or Bundestag, said on Wednesday that although coronavirus infections have been rising again recently, they did not see the need to extend the “epidemic situation.” The Bundestag first declared the health emergency situation in March 2020 and has repeatedly extended it since then. But the parliament said the situation has fundamentally changed due to the fact that about two-thirds of the population had been vaccinated against the virus.