Possibility of Extending Germany's Full Lockdown Measures Until April... Merkel Says "Strong Measures Needed"

Urgent Alert on Spread of UK-Origin Variant Virus
Concerns Over 10-Fold Surge in New Confirmed Cases

German Chancellor Angela Merkel poses for a photo after finishing the TV broadcast recording of her New Year's address at the Chancellor's Office in Berlin on the 30th (local time).

German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that strong quarantine measures will be necessary for the next 8 to 10 weeks to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). This suggests that the full lockdown measures currently in place until the end of this month could be extended until April.

Merkel reportedly said at an internal meeting of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), "We still need strong measures for 8 to 10 weeks," according to German newspaper Bild citing attendees on the 12th (local time).

Attendees also reported that Merkel warned, "If we fail to stop the spread of the variant virus originating from the UK, the number of new confirmed cases could increase tenfold around Easter."

According to data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany's equivalent of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of new COVID-19 cases in Germany reached 12,802 and daily deaths reached 891 the previous day.

On the 5th, at a meeting of the federal government and the 16 state governors chaired by Chancellor Merkel, it was decided to further strengthen lockdown measures by allowing only one person outside the same household to meet privately and restricting movement within a 15 km radius in areas with rapid COVID-19 spread.

The full lockdown measures, which include closing cultural and sports facilities, restaurants, as well as schools, childcare centers, and shops, have been extended until the end of this month.