Recovery across the private sector in Germany came to a halt in December as the country moved to contain the latest wave of COVID-19 infections with tighter restrictions, flash purchasing managers’ index (PMI) data from IHS Markit showed on Thursday. The headline Flash Germany PMI Composite Output Index registered 50.0 in December, down from 52.2 in November and at an 18-month low. This was weaker than a Reuters poll of analysts who had predicted a decline to 51.1 in December. The latest reading of 50 was indicative of no change in activity, with any value above that mark signalling growth. Anything below that number points to a contraction. “The German economic recovery was stopped in its tracks in December by the resurgence of the pandemic, as renewed restrictions and increased uncertainty dampened activity across the country’s service sector,” Markit economist Phil Smith said. Business activity in the service sector also declined for the …