Germany faces lockdown until June as curbs fail to push down cases

A person crosses an empty road during a night-time curfew, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Cologne, Germany, April 25, 2021. REUTERS/Thilo Schmuelgen

BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany's coronavirus infection rate rose at the weekend despite stricter restrictions as Finance Minister Olaf Scholz cautioned he did not expect moves to ease curbs before the end of May.

Germany is struggling to contain a third wave of infections, with efforts complicated by the more contagious B117 variant, which first emerged in the UK, and a relatively slow start to its national vaccination campaign.