If Trump thinks it is safe enough for his followers to rally in large numbers as the virus still spreads unchecked, why doesn’t he leave the White House and join them? - https://theintercept.com/2020/04/18/trump-urges-followers-risk-lives-rallies-wont-attend/

Bavaria on Tuesday cancelled the iconic Oktoberfest for the first time since World War II dealing a fresh blow to Germany's beer industry already hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. - https://www.thelocal.de/20200421/we-risk-a-beer-shortage-oktoberfest-cancellation-deals-fresh-blow-to-german-beer-industry

Germany's Oktoberfest beer festival will be cancelled this year as "risks are too high" from the novel coronavirus, Bavarian state premier Markus Söder said Tuesday. - https://www.thelocal.de/20200421/germanys-oktoberfest-2020-cancelled-due-to-coronavirus-pandemic

The COVID Tracking Project collects and publishes the most complete testing data available for US states and territories - https://covidtracking.com/

Nurses Across the U.S. Are Getting Fired for Fighting PPE Shortages
Clashes over necessary protective equipment, social media policies, and volunteering in understaffed regions have led to terminations for many health care workers. https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/akwxze/nurses-across-united-states-fired-for-fighting-covid-19-ppe-shortages

With more than 2.5 million people now infected worldwide in the COVID-19 pandemic, Germany has authorized the first clinical trial of a coronavirus vaccine. The first human tests will begin before the end of April. - https://p.dw.com/p/3bGhz

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says her country must remain "clever and cautious" in handling the coronavirus crisis, as "it's not the end phase but still just the beginning".
"We will be with it for a long time," she warned parliament, ahead of an EU video summit on the crisis.
She stressed the need for European cohesion in fighting the virus.
And she said Germany should be ready to "make very different, meaning much higher contributions to the EU budget".
The extra funding should be provided "in a spirit of solidarity" and for a limited time, she said - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52394645

Young and middle-aged people, barely sick with covid-19, are dying from strokes

via www.washingtonpost.com

Germans have started wearing facemasks outside the home as new rules come into force to curb the spread of coronavirus.
The use of cloth masks is now mandatory on public transport and, in most regions, within shops. - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52439926

New Zealand says it has stopped community transmission of Covid-19, effectively eliminating the virus.
With new cases in single figures for several days - one on Sunday - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the virus was "currently" eliminated.
But officials have warned against complacency, saying it does not mean a total end to new coronavirus cases. - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-52436658

Starting this week, face masks will be required for every Germany states - across the board for public transport and in some states in shops and other public places, as well. Here are the details state by state:
Bavaria:
Those who don’t wear a mask on public transport and stores starting on Monday will be subject to a fine, according to head of the state chancellery Florian Herrmann (CSU). Offenders can pay €150 if they don't don one of the coverings on public transport or in shops.
However, shop owners could pay as high as €5000 if they don't ensure that their staff use masks, according to Bavaria's updated catalogue of fines.
Both the police and the personnel in buses and trains will then be required to check that the coverings are being worn - https://www.thelocal.de/20200423/face-masks-in-germany-what-are-the-requirements-and-fines-for-every-state

More than 200 doctors from Cuba are due to arrive in South Africa to help fight coronavirus.
The medics left on a plane that first carried a donation of South African medical supplies to the Caribbean island, its embassy in Pretoria said.
They are among 1,200 healthcare workers sent to battle Covid-19 in 22 countries that have requested help from the communist state - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52431627

Battling Virulent Coronavirus Rumors in Africa. Inaccurate claims and potentially dangerous medical advice is spreading in Africa even faster that the coronavirus itself. This "infodemic" could have disastrous consequences. - https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/deadly-fake-news-battling-virulent-coronavirus-rumors-in-africa-a-56aff54e-29cb-4f79-9839-a8ba0598063f

Doctors, including community health and infectious disease specialists, arrived early Monday morning and were welcomed by military and health authorities.
South Africa requested assistance from the Cuban government, which is sending more than 1,000 doctors to 22 countries, including Togo, Cap Verde and Angola in Africa. - https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/cuban-doctors-arrive-help-south-africa-fight-coronavirus

A website apparently featuring photos of German medical workers is calling attention to the working conditions and protective equipment needed by frontline workers amid the coronavirus pandemic - https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/28/europe/german-doctors-naked-protest-intl-scli-grm/index.html

As Germany lockdown eases, spread of coronavirus worsens. Reproduction rate mounts again to about 1.0 in advance of fresh lockdown decision on May 6. First signs that the transmission of the novel coronavirus has again picked up were visible in German official data, just as the country attempts a cautious easing of its lockdown measures. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/germany-lockdown-eases-spread-coronavirus-worsens-200428075843362.html

German labs are now able to carry out almost 900,000 tests a week for the novel coronavirus, officials said on Wednesday, as they plan to widen testing among health workers.
"Today, we have a theoretically possible capacity of almost 900,000 tests (per week) in Germany already, as long as the materials for these tests are available," Health Minister Jens Spahn told reporters in Berlin.
Roughly 470,000 tests were carried out last week, suggesting there is spare capacity that could help prevent outbreaks among medical staff at hospitals and care homes. https://www.thelocal.de/20200429/german-coronavirus-testing-capacity-increases-to-900000-a-week

There is an old saying here: “When the United States gets flu, Mexico gets pneumonia.” This year, it got a new punchline: “So what happens when the United States gets coronavirus?” - As the U.S. economy crashes over the cliff, it pulls Mexico along. Except Mexico falls harder. - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/29/opinion/mexico-coronavirus-economy.html

Germany is advising against all international trips until at least June 14, the country's foreign minister Heiko Maas announced Wednesday.
Maas told reporters the country "could not advise travel without worries" and that Germany is coordinating with its European neighbouring countries on the global travel warning. - https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-pandemic-04-29-20-intl/h_a2983510a9df8f06a31e931ce9fe2bfc

Dr. Ashish Jha, the director of Harvard's Global Health Institute, says that US coronavirus testing is inadequate and needs to more than double to reopen. - https://edition.cnn.com/videos/health/2020/04/28/coronavirus-testing-trump-shutdown-ashish-jha-ebof-vpx.cnn/video/playlists/this-week-in-politics/