German Chancellor warns of new pandemic, extends lockdown till April 18
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel Said that the restrictions, which were scheduled to last until March 28, will remain in effect till April 18. The move came in a phone call with the governors of the 16 states.
“We have a fundamentally new pandemic,” Merkel told reporters in Berlin, adding: “We basically have a new virus, obviously of the same kind, but with completely different characteristics. Significantly more deadly, more contagious, and longer contagious.”
Officials agreed to close public life significantly from April 1 to 3, add a public holiday and close most stores in this period.
Public gatherings will be banned from April 1st to 5th to encourage people to stay at home.
The Coronavirus infections have increased steadily in Germany, where the most contagious type first detected in Britain has become dominant, outnumbering daily cases in the country than in the United States.
Amid fears of a rise in the number of Germans travelling abroad on holidays, the authorities also approved a comprehensive requirement for air passengers which is testing for the Coronavirus before boarding a flight to Germany.
