Germany to ease some border restrictions

German authorities are loosening the control established on European borders as part of the fight against the pandemic of a new type of coronavirus COVID-19.

Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said the country would drop checks on the German borders with France, Switzerland, and Austria from May 16.

He said that as part of the easing, all border crossings will be opened — rather than selected ones at present.

Moreover, Germany cancels controls on the borders with Luxembourg and Denmark, with some extent till June 15.

On December 31, 2019, Chinese authorities announced an outbreak of pneumonia in China's Wuhan, the causative agent of which is a new type of coronavirus officially named COVID-19.

On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of a new coronavirus a pandemic.