Speaking early on Tuesday, after a long video call with the country’s 16 state governors, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that the restrictions previously set until March 28 will remain in force until April 18.
Coronavirus infections have been steadily rising in Germany, as the more contagious variant first detected in the UK has become dominant, and the daily number of cases per capita in the country has exceeded that of the United States.
“Basically we have a new pandemic,” Merkel told reporters in Berlin.
“Essentially, we have a new virus, obviously of the same type, but with completely different characteristics,” she added. “Significantly more deadly, significantly more infectious (and) infectious for longer.”
Since their last meeting three weeks ago, which saw the two sides agree on a multi-step plan to ease restrictions, several states have tried to avoid a return to tougher blockages when the weekly number of new infections exceeds 100 per 100,000 inhabitants in three consecutive days. .
Merkel said she would not accept this.
“Unfortunately, we will have to use this emergency brake,” she said.
The weekly infection rate per 100,000 people rose to 107 nationwide on Monday, up from the mid-1960s three weeks ago.
Officials agreed to largely close public life between April 1-3, adding a public holiday and closing most stores for that period. Public meetings will be banned from April 1-5 to encourage people to stay home.
Amid concerns about the growing number of Germans traveling abroad on holiday, authorities also agreed on a general requirement for air passengers to be tested for COVID-19 before boarding a flight to Germany.
The development of legally tight rules has sometimes proved to be a headache. A court in Germany’s most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia, said Monday it had rejected rules requiring people to receive appointments to visit stores. He said they violated the requirement for companies to receive equal treatment.
The state government immediately reinstated the rules, tightening them for some businesses – such as bookstores and garden centers – that were previously exempt.
According to the agreement on Tuesday, the authorities will aim to offer free tests to all students and teachers in German schools, many of which have only recently reopened after months of distance learning.
Merkel said Germany, which had relatively low deaths in the first phase of the pandemic last spring, had “successes but also setbacks” and insisted that the situation would improve as more people were vaccinated.
Germany’s vaccination campaign has so far fallen short of expectations, with only about 9% of the population receiving at least one first shot and 4% receiving both doses by Sunday.
“It’s more difficult than I thought,” Merkel said. “But there is definitely visible light at the end of the tunnel.”
Asked about the EU’s plans to restrict exports of vaccines and components, Merkel said she supported the bloc’s executive committee’s efforts to ensure contracts were fulfilled, citing supply problems with the EU’s AstraZeneca shot.
Britain, which left the EU last year, protested strongly against the plans, fearing it could be removed from deliveries.
Merkel said she and French President Emmanuel Macron had each spoken to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson about the issue in recent days, and EU leaders would aim to make a “responsible” decision at a virtual summit on Thursday.
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AP journalist Geir Moulson contributed to the report.
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