The Bundesliga is putting plans in place to return matches at all 36 stadiums of the first and second division by the beginning of May with the goal of completing the nine remaining matches of the schedule by the end of June.

Stadiums will be empty and only televised. 

“We are part of the culture in the country, people long to get back a short piece of normal life, and that could mean the Bundesliga plays again,” Bundesliga chief executive Christian Seifert said. “This is why we have to play our role here, and that means to support the government and to talk with the government about when we will be able to play again.”

Germany had more than 107,000 documented cases of COVID-19 by Wednesday morning, but its health care system has so far managed to cope with the crisis better than perhaps anywhere in the world with an incredibly low death rate.

The Bundesliga estimates that 240 people, including players, coaching and medical staff, match officials and production staff will be needed for each game.