Angela Merkel Urges Tougher Curbs To Battle Germany's 4th Covid Wave
Covid In Germany: Germany reported 30,643 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday and 62 deaths, with an incidence - the number of cases per 100,000 people over a week - of 386.5, a 15th consecutive day of record numbers.
Germany's acting Chancellor Angela Merkel told leaders of her conservative party that measures being taken to stop the spread of the coronavirus in Europe's biggest economy were insufficient and that stronger action needed to be taken.
"We are in a highly dramatic situation. What is in place now is not sufficient," she told CDU leaders in a meeting, according to two participants.
Case numbers in Germany have been soaring, especially among the elderly whose first two shots of COVID-19 vaccine were at the start of the year, and among children that are not eligible for inoculation.
Some 79% of adults in Germany have had two shots of COVID-19 vaccine, but only 7.5% have received booster shots so far, as the total number of coronavirus deaths in Germany approaches 100,000.
Germany has already decided to limit large parts of public life in areas where hospitals are becoming full of COVID-19 patients to those who have either been vaccinated or have recovered from the illness.
But Merkel said neither those measures nor a higher uptake of vaccinations would be enough to halt the rapid rise of infections in the short run. She called on Germany's 16 federal states to decide tough measures by Wednesday.
Neighbouring Austria imposed a full COVID-19 lockdown on Monday, and German acting Health Minister Jens Spahn warned on Friday that Germany may follow.
Germany reported 30,643 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday and 62 deaths, with an incidence - the number of cases per 100,000 people over a week - of 386.5, a 15th consecutive day of record numbers.
"We are in a highly dramatic situation. What is in place now is not sufficient," she told CDU leaders in a meeting, according to two participants.
Case numbers in Germany have been soaring, especially among the elderly whose first two shots of COVID-19 vaccine were at the start of the year, and among children that are not eligible for inoculation.
Some 79% of adults in Germany have had two shots of COVID-19 vaccine, but only 7.5% have received booster shots so far, as the total number of coronavirus deaths in Germany approaches 100,000.
Germany has already decided to limit large parts of public life in areas where hospitals are becoming full of COVID-19 patients to those who have either been vaccinated or have recovered from the illness.
But Merkel said neither those measures nor a higher uptake of vaccinations would be enough to halt the rapid rise of infections in the short run. She called on Germany's 16 federal states to decide tough measures by Wednesday.
Neighbouring Austria imposed a full COVID-19 lockdown on Monday, and German acting Health Minister Jens Spahn warned on Friday that Germany may follow.
Germany reported 30,643 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday and 62 deaths, with an incidence - the number of cases per 100,000 people over a week - of 386.5, a 15th consecutive day of record numbers.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
