Germany to start easing COVID-19 lockdown next week, draft says, critics call for speedier reopening

A woman walks with her dog at the Volkspark Friedrichshain, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Berlin, Germany March 2, 2021. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel faced growing pressure to set out a clear roadmap to reopening German society from months of pandemic lockdown, with Finance Minister Olaf Scholz joining the chorus of voices saying existing plans did not go far enough.

Draft plans, seen by Reuters, show ministers are planning to ease some restrictions beginning next week, a cautious approach that is likely to disappoint parents of school-age children and many business groups in Europe's largest economy.