German economy situation most serious since WWII: Minister

The German economy, Europe's largest, is in its most grave economic situation since World War Two, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said on Friday.

"The German economy is in a situation that is more serious than anything we have experienced in the post-war period," Altmaier said, though, he added that the core of the economy is healthy.

Germany has the fifth highest Covid-19 caseload behind the United States, Spain, Italy, and France at nearly 134,000, but has kept fatalities down to a relatively low 3,868 thanks to early and extensive testing.

The German authorities have, however, been more cautious than some Asian countries in using digital technology to fight the coronavirus, restrained by Europe's strict data privacy laws and mindful of public skepticism towards any surveillance reminiscent of Nazi- or communist-era rule.

MG