Chancellor Merkel defended the partial lockdown in a press conference. She also dared to look forward to Christmas and New Year's Eve.
A four-week partial lockdown began nationwide on November 2nd. He is supposed to break the second corona wave that is currently rolling over Germany. In a press conference, Chancellor Angela Merkel (66) defended the sometimes tough measures and spoke of a "practical test that we have not had since the Second World War". The Chancellor also gave an outlook on the time after the lockdown, but was not very optimistic.
"It is up to everyone to make this November our joint success, at a turning point back to the traceability of the pandemic," said Merkel and appealed to the people in Germany to adhere to the Corona rules. This is how the current exponential increase in the number of corona cases can be stopped. The country is getting closer and closer to the stress limit of the staff in the intensive care units. A "responsible government cannot allow that".
"No lonely Christmas"
If it were possible to stop the spread of the virus in November, "we could have more freedom at Christmas," said the Chancellor. It would be Christmas under Corona conditions, "but it shouldn't be Christmas in solitude". The turn of the year won't be easy either: "I don't think there will be those big, lavish New Year's Eve parties," said Merkel.
In addition, she did not want to speculate and announced another meeting with the prime ministers of the federal states for November 16. Should the measures prove to be inadequate by then, additional restrictions may be necessary: "In any case, we will politically try to do everything we can to keep it limited to November."
She can understand the displeasure of many people, but Germany is now facing difficult months. Because especially at lower temperatures, "this virus reacts differently and even more aggressively," said Merkel. That is why there is no other way: "The virus punishes half-heartedness."