Merkel urges Germans to be careful or risk third coronavirus wave
German chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday warned the country could face a third wave of coronavirus infections in the coming weeks.
Last month, Germany imposed a partial lockdown in an effort to slow a second wave of coronavirus infections, but infection levels rose overnight compared to the same time last week.
Authorities registered 11,169 new cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 1,053,869 infected people. The total death toll rose by 125 to 16,248.
“We’ll have to be very, very careful during the winter. Otherwise we will end up directly in the next wave”, Merkel said.
Merkel and state premiers agreed last week that some partial easing of the lockdown would be allowed to allow families some low-key Christmas celebrations.
On Monday however, Merkel said she could not understand the plans of some northern and western states, where the epidemic is less severe, to allow hotels to open to allow far-flung families to get together.
“People have to show discipline. We have to do more to reduce social contacts”, economy minister Peter Altmaier, the architect of the economic response to the pandemic told the media.
