German Chancellor Angela Merkel reinstated coronavirus restrictions to last through November as new coronavirus cases grow by the thousands each day.
Merkel consulted with the premiers of Germany’s 16 states in a video conference Wednesday to discuss the terms of a partial lockdown. The restrictions, to go into effect Nov. 4, will not be as all-encompassing as they were in the spring, when the pandemic ravaged Europe. Bars and restaurants would have to close, and large events would be banned. Schools and nurseries, though, could remain open.
“Within weeks we will reach the limits of our health system,” Merkel said at a news briefing Wednesday. “It is completely clear that we must act and act now to prevent a national health crisis.”
French President Emmanuel Macron is likewise poised to announce similar lockdown restrictions during a televised address on Wednesday. Last week, Macron announced a mandatory curfew in the capital and eight other cities to last from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. every day for the next four weeks. Cases in France are growing by about 40,000 each day, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
Germany has fared better than many of its neighboring European countries in suppressing the virus and avoiding economic devastation. But another round of restrictions would be costly. European markets fell sharply on Wednesday to its lowest levels since June.
Germany’s new coronavirus cases have risen on average by 14,000 each day, leading to a current total of more than 463,000.
