Quarantine measures first came into effect in Germany on Sunday, March 22, 2020, in an effort to get the global outbreak of the respiratory disease under control.

For around three years, social distancing measures of varying degrees were in place around the world. Nevertheless, almost 7 million people died from the disease known as COVID-19. In Germany, there have been 187,000 cases of people dying with or from coronavirus. The most recent coronavirus-related restrictions, which included the obligation to wear a face mask in certain establishments, ended in April 2023.

However, the infectious disease has not disappeared. On the contrary, people continue to contract the virus as it continues to evolve, but for most people, it is now less dangerous.

Many suffer from the long-term effects, known as post-COVID-19 or long COVID-19. And there has still not been a full appraisal of the pandemic in society or in politics. One person who has been criticizing this for some time now is Germany's head of state, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

"The people in this country are expecting us to take a thorough look at that period," said the President recently in a round table discussion he initiated on the aftermath and lessons learned from the coronavirus pandemic.

"I think........

© Deutsche Welle