Credit: © visitBerlin / Dagmar Schwelle

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced that the country will enter a next phase of the lockdown, bringing more rigorous measures in a bid to curb the exponential spread of COVID-19.

Following the meeting with Prime Ministers of 16 German federal states, Chancellor Merkel said that there was an urgent need to take action. Shops selling non-essential goods, hair-salons, and schools in Germany will close from Wednesday, in addition to the already existing restrictions. Restaurants, bars, cinemas, theaters, and opera houses will remain closed.

“The corona situation is out of control,” said Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder. The new lockdown in Germany will last until January 10, 2021, and the epidemiological situation will be regularly evaluated.

Germany recorded another 20,200 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours.