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Fresh outbreak tests Berlin's resilience

Coronavirus Daily
Bloomberg

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Fresh outbreak tests Berlin's resilience

One of Berlin's trendiest neighborhoods risks becoming a different kind of hotspot, thanks to Covid-19.

Just as the city was getting used to life after lockdown, an entire apartment building in the southeastern Neukoelln borough was quarantined over the weekend. The discovery that 70 tenants have contracted the virus, with more still to be tested, sent alarm bells ringing as authorities across the country look for signs of a feared second wave of infections.

By most measures, Germany has handled the health crisis in exemplary fashion. Chancellor Angela Merkel has emphasized the need for caution when it comes to relaxing restrictions on everyday life. Meanwhile, Germany implemented an aggressive testing program that helped keep casualties relatively low in Europe's most populous country.

The Corona-Warn tracing app in Berlin.

Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg

Now the focus will be on how well it tackles smaller outbreaks. In Neukoelln, hundreds of tenants have been quarantined in an effort to limit the damage, according to local media. There are six mobile health teams on the case and authorities are tracking contacts of a pastor who lived in the apartment block, to see whether the virus could be spreading to other parts of the city as well.

After months of development, Germany this week unveiled a new weapon to fight the disease: a tracing app that, according to Health Minister Jens Spahn, will help break infection chains and allow the country to manage the return to normality more quickly.

Using the software is voluntary, so its success will depend on how many people sign up for it. As the infection rate creeps up, increasing the chances of a new bout of infections, the government will be counting on technology—and the public's cooperation—to keep the virus at bay.—Andrew Blackman

Today's podcast

Latin America's Viral Explosion

Coronavirus is spiking in Brazil, Mexico, Peru and elsewhere, and health experts have called Latin America the new epicenter of the pandemic. Jason Gale speaks with the WHO's top regional official to find out what makes some populations especially vulnerable.

Latest event: On June 18th, hear from senior leaders including Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia of Snoop and Johann Butting of Slack on how they bolstered digital offerings and positioned for the pandemic amid a surging need for digital technologies. Get details and register here.

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