Angela Merkel put on a brave face for the cameras
Credit: STEFANIE LOOS/AFP
Angela Merkel is said to be deeply concerned new coronavirus restrictions agreed by regional leaders do not go far enough and that Germany may be heading for “disaster”.
The warning comes as Germany and Italy, two countries that appeared to have escaped the worst of the second wave, recorded their highest daily rise in infections since the start of the pandemic.
Mrs Merkel put on a brave face for the cameras after German regional leaders stopped short of agreeing tough new measures she proposed on Wednesday. But behind closed doors she reportedly lost her temper during marathon six-hour talks with the leaders of Germany’s 16 states, telling them, “I’m not happy”, and warning: “What you’ve agreed is not enough to avert disaster”.
Under Germany’s federal system, the state governments have the final say over lockdown measures and Mrs Merkel is powerless to overrule them.
Regional leaders agreed new restrictions for areas where the infection rate rises over safety limits, including an 11pm curfew for restaurants and pubs, a limit of ten on gatherings, and the mandatory use of facemasks in crowded areas outdoors.
Police enforcing an 11pm curfew for restaurants and pubs in Berlin
Credit: Christophe Gateau/DPA
They also issued a warning that Germany will have to impose much tougher restrictions if the infection rate does not start to fall in the next 10 days. But they rejected pressure from Mrs Merkel for immediate restrictions on internal travel within Germany.
Many states have agreed to a ban on hotel or holiday rental stays for people from areas with a high infection rate, but several key states, including Berlin and North Rhine-Westphalia are refusing to implement the ban, arguing it will be devastating for the tourist economy. Regional leaders agreed to defer a final decision on the issue until next month.
Coronavirus Germany Spotlight Chart — cases default
The divisions come as Germany recorded its highest daily rise in infections since the start of the pandemic, with 6,638 recorded on Wednesday.
Experts cautioned that the figures cannot be compared to those during the first wave, and said the surge could be down to a bottleneck in testing after some laboratories temporarily ran out of supplies.
But the rise will cause concern in a country that until recently believed it had escaped the second wave currently gripping much of Europe.
Italians queuing to be tested in Milan
Credit: Luca Bruno/AP
Politicians in Germany are openly talking about the need to take action now in order to prevent a lockdown over Christmas.
But in Italy, another country that appeared to have avoided the worst of the second wave, virologists are already warning a Christmas lockdown may be inevitable.
Italy recorded its highest daily rise in infections since the pandemic began on Wednesday, with 7,300, although deaths remain far lower than in March, and experts cautioned the surge coincided with a record number of tests.
“I think a lockdown at Christmas is in the order of things: we could reset the system, lower the transmission of the virus and boost contact tracing," said Andrea Crisanti, a leading Italian virologist.
“The way things are right now the system is saturated… As cases have risen the capacity for contact tracing and doing swabs drops and you go into a vicious circle that pushes the transmission of the virus up.”
Giuseppe Conte, the Italian prime minister, said: “If the number of infections continues to rise, and the number of people in hospital and in intensive care, we will once again be heading into difficulties."
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