Chancellor Angela Merkel has endorsed the proposals put forward by the Leopoldina National Academy calling for a hard lockdown in Germany. In the Bundestag on Wednesday, she spoke out in favour of closing shops after the Christmas holidays. 

Merkel calls for closure of shops and schools after Christmas

Justifying her call for tighter coronavirus restrictions in Germany, Merkel said, “We have to do everything we can to ensure that we do not get exponential growth again.” She explicitly gave her support to the recommendations published by a group of researchers at the Leopoldina National Academy of Sciences on Tuesday, which called for a strict two-step plan to help combat the continued spread of coronavirus in Germany. 

Accordingly, Merkel said she considered it right to close non-essential shops in Germany after Christmas until at least January 10, and that teaching in schools should also be minimised by extending the school holidays or switching to digital lessons. The Chancellor indicated that she would like to talk to the heads of the federal states as soon as possible to talk about the new restrictions. 

German population urged to reduce social contacts

Angela Merkel used her speech to once again appeal to the population to massively restrict contacts before Christmas. “We have to work hard now,” she said. “The most important key to successfully fighting the virus in our country is the responsible behaviour of each individual and the willingness to participate,” she said. 

She once again reiterated Germany’s goal to get the seven-day incidence rate to below 50 new coronavirus infections per 100.000 inhabitants. “Otherwise the pandemic will slip away from us again and again,” she said. 

The Robert Koch Institute announced 20.815 new coronavirus cases in the 24 hours to Wednesday morning, bringing the total number of infections in Germany to just over 1,2 million. A new daily high of deaths - 590 in 24 hours - was also confirmed, bringing the total death toll since the beginning of the pandemic to 19.932.