As Germany locks down, NYC continues to open up.

Happening in the World: German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced this morning that Germany would being going into a strict Easter lockdown in an attempt to avoid a deadly third wave of COVID-19. Though there had been a gradual easing of restrictions, the British mutation of the virus has become dominant, and therefore extra restrictions would be in place until April 18. (NPR)

Happening in the US: The US trial of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is already being given to hundreds of thousands in the UK every day, has proven it is 79% effective in stopping symptomatic cases of COVID-19 and 100% effective in preventing people from falling seriously ill. Some EU countries had paused the rollout of these vaccines due to concerns it was unsafe, but this trial will allow US regulators to approve it within the next month or two. (BBC)

Happening in NYC: Starting May 3rd, New York City municipal office employees will return to work in person, though wearing face masks and getting vaccines will not be required. This policy will affect about 80,000 workers, the largest municipal workforce in the country, despite the fact that NYC still has one of the highest rates of COVID-19 cases in the nation. (NYT)

Happening in the Columbia Community: Today at 6 pm, the ICLS, the Weatherhead East Asian Institute, and the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures will be presenting “The Future Repeats Itself: Historical Roots of Anti-Chinese Animus in the time of COVID,” a keynote event in which speaker Ari Larissa Heinrich will discuss anti-Asian bias in epidemic, particularly with regards to COVID-19.

Poem: If you’re in the mood for a devastatingly gorgeous love poem to a lost loved one, here’s “Dirt and Light” by Aria Aber.

Municipal building via Flickr