BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany is well placed to avoid a second wave of coronavirus infections, Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said on Friday, warning that the absence of a vaccine meant social distancing as well as testing and tracing measures were necessary.

“We are living with the virus, which I describe as a new normal. And it will only change when we have new medical therapies and when we have a vaccine,” Scholz said. “As long as this is not the case, we have to organize our lives so as to avoid a second wave.”

He added that the chances were “very, very large” that Germany could avoid a second wave.