Merkel pushes tougher restrictions at ‘decisive’ point in fight against pandemic

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for tougher restrictions in her country on Wednesday following the largest single-day increase of coronavirus deaths.

The Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s national disease control center, reported 590 deaths on Wednesday, more than 100 deaths more than the previous record set last week, according to The Associated Press.

“We are in a decisive, perhaps the decisive, phase of fighting the pandemic,” said Merkel. “The figures are at much too high a level.”

Merkel announced last week that Germany would be extending its national lockdown, in place since Nov. 2, into 2021.

“We would do well to really take seriously what scientists tell us,” said Merkel, noting that recommendations were made by a national academy of scientists on Tuesday. The measures are intended to reduce social contact and enact a “hard lockdown” from Dec. 24 to Jan. 10.

Merkel also called on state governments to potentially close schools early before Christmas.

“If we have too many contacts before Christmas and then it’s our last Christmas with our grandparents, then we will have been negligent,” said Merkel.

The AP notes that many state governments are already enforcing tougher lockdown restrictions without guidance from the federal government.

Saxony, an east German state and the area hardest hit in the country, announced most schools will be closed until Jan.10.

Merkel has said that Germany is set to receive 70 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine, according to The Local.

Germany is reportedly focused on acquiring vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, two American pharmaceutical companies that have applied for emergency use authorization in the U.S. after promising results indicated high efficacy. 

However, with a population of more than 83 million, the first round of doses will likely not be enough to immunize the whole of the population, with Merkel warning that the country must first get through the winter.

Germany has so far reported nearly 1.2 million coronavirus cases and almost 20,000 deaths.