Photo taken in Munich, Germany, on Feb. 19, 2021 shows German Chancellor Angela Merkel (on the screen) addressing the virtual Munich Security Conference. Merkel told the special virtual edition of the Munich Security Conference on Friday that multilateralism provided the basis for all political activities and that multilateral organizations should be strengthened.Photo:Xinhua

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday unveiled plans to gradually ease coronavirus curbs in Europe's top economy, while President Joe Biden slammed "Neanderthal" decisions to drop mask-wearing mandates in some US states.

Merkel and Germany's 16 regional leaders revealed a step-by-step plan to relax restrictions, despite concern over the spread of more aggressive virus variants, as Merkel caved to political pressure and public discontent. 

"Today, we can talk of hope and a transition to a new phase" in the fight against the pandemic, she told a Berlin press conference, citing the imminent ramp-up in vaccinations and the arrival of mass rapid testing.

The relaxations will happen gradually and many of the current virus restrictions will stay in place until March 28, but from Monday, Germans will be allowed to socialize more, with up to five adults from two households allowed to meet up.

The desire to leave pandemic regulations behind is widespread throughout the rest of Europe too, as the Swiss government said a referendum would be held in June on the legality of government powers to order lockdowns.

In the Dutch town of Bovenkarspel, a suspected bomb went off at a coronavirus testing center, breaking windows but not causing any injuries. 

The Netherlands has been shaken by riots against coronavirus curfews and the torching of another testing center in January.

Biden is touting a surge in vaccine production in the US and says that by May, there will be enough supply for everyone in the country - although it could take months more for the whole population actually to receive the jabs.

As US states Texas and Mississippi defy federal guidelines and ditch mask requirements, Biden told reporters at the White House that this is no time to relax, despite declining case counts. More than half a million Americans have died from the coronavirus, and the toll ticks upward daily.

"The last thing we need is Neanderthal thinking that in the meantime, everything's fine - take off your mask, forget it. It still matters."

Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), echoed the warning, and said, "the next month or two is really pivotal in terms of how this pandemic goes."

Increasingly, the now year-long global pandemic is boiling down to a race between the virus's spread and governments' ability to administer an ever-growing line-up of vaccines.

AFP