The goal of reopening countries without sparking new coronavirus outbreaks has proven to be a challenge around the world. Even as some countries begin to see normal signs of life again, the virus has kicked back, prompting governments to review or reverse reopening plans. “One thing is clear — when countries have reopened, they haven’t gone back to normal or to the way things were,” said Steven Hoffman, director of the Global Strategy Lab and a global health professor at York University.
Germany is one example. Just days after the country rolled out its first tentative steps to reopen the economy, it saw a surge in new coronavirus infections.