Johannes Slawig hasn't had a lot of down time in the past few weeks. The head of the coronavirus task force in the German city of Wuppertal has had to procure protective equipment for the health department, hire doctors for the makeshift hospital in a local gymnasium and check the financing of the fire department's new test center.Slawig hasn't even found the time to check out the webcams on the municipal zoo's website, which have been documenting the first steps of the newborn elephant, Kimana.The article you are reading originally appeared in German in issue 20/2020 (May 09, 2020) of DER...…Johannes Slawig hasn't had a lot of down time in the past few weeks. The head of the coronavirus task force in the German city of Wuppertal has had to procure protective equipment for the health department, hire doctors for the makeshift hospital in a local gymnasium and check the financing of the fire department's new test center.Slawig hasn't even found the time to check out the webcams on the municipal zoo's website, which have been documenting the first steps of the newborn elephant, Kimana.The article you are reading originally appeared in German in issue 20/2020 (May 09, 2020) of DER...WW…

DER SPIEGEL: Mr. Fuest, in recent months, the state has intervened in everyday life and in the economy in an unprecedented way - with rules on the public’s behavior, economic stimulus programs and subsidies. Was it all necessary?Fuest: By and large, the government has acted correctly, both in the fight against the coronavirus and in terms of economic policy. In a crisis like this, the markets don’t function properly, so the state should intervene. However, it is equally important that politicians find a way out of the emergency measures once the acute crisis passes. We have to be careful...…DER SPIEGEL: Mr. Fuest, in recent months, the state has intervened in everyday life and in the economy in an unprecedented way - with rules on the public’s behavior, economic stimulus programs and subsidies. Was it all necessary?Fuest: By and large, the government has acted correctly, both in the fight against the coronavirus and in terms of economic policy. In a crisis like this, the markets don’t function properly, so the state should intervene. However, it is equally important that politicians find a way out of the emergency measures once the acute crisis passes. We have to be careful...WW…