Merkel says too early to ease lockdown in Germany despite signs of slowdown in virus spread

It is too early for Germany to lift its restrictions on people's movement despite initial signs that the coronavirus is spreading at a slightly slower pace, Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a recorded speech on Friday.

"The government and I personally are thinking about how we can simultaneously achieve two things: securing health protection for all, and also starting a process so that public life returns step by step."

She added that tackling the pandemic was a "Herculean task."