Germany has canceled its iconic Oktoberfest as the coronavirus continues its deadly and disruptive force around the globe.
The world-famous, centuries-old beer festival in Munich draws about 6 million visitors each year in the fall.
“We agreed that the risk is simply too high,” Bavarian governor Markus Soeder said.
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Amid growing impatience about the shutdowns that have thrown millions out of work, European countries continued to reopen in stages.
The push to reopen has set off warnings from health authorities and politicians that the crisis that has killed more than 171,000 people worldwide is far from over, with deaths still mounting, and that relaxing the stay-at-home restrictions too quickly could enable the virus to come storming back.
Meanwhile, U.N. leaders called for efforts to ensure all people have access to testing, medical supplies, drugs and future vaccines, especially in developing countries where virus cases are rising.
African officials have been outspoken about the need for medical supplies across the 54-nation continent, where health care systems are weak and could become overwhelmed.
Even under a best-case scenario, Africa will need $44 billion for testing, personal protective equipment and treatment of coronavirus, according to a U.N. report. The worst-case scenario estimates $446 billion. The continent has recorded more than 1,100 deaths.
In Europe, Denmark, Austria, Spain and Germany began allowing some people back to work, including hairdressers, dentists and construction workers. Some stores were cleared to reopen.
Spain, which is among the worst-hit countries, will also begin allowing children out of their homes for brief periods next Monday. Denmark’s Tivoli Gardens, the Copenhagen amusement park that inspired Walt Disney, will reopen May 11.
In Austria, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said all shops will be up and running at the beginning of May and restaurants in mid-May. He said the government will watch closely and will “pull the emergency brake if that is necessary.”
But in an indication that it will be a long time before life returns to normal, Spain canceled its Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, the more than 400-year-old event made world famous by Ernest Hemingway’s 1926 novel “The Sun Also Rises.” It was also called off during the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s.
In Italy, Premier Giuseppe Conte confirmed that businesses can start reopening May 4 but doused any hopes of a full end to the country's strict lockdown.
“Many citizens are tired of the efforts that have been made so far and would like a significant loosening of these measures, or even their total abolition,” Conte said on Facebook. “A decision of that kind would be irresponsible.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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