Germany might need tougher Covid-19 curbs before Christmas, says health minister

Germany’s Health Minister Jens Spahn says that the nation might need tougher Covid-19 restrictions before Christmas.

Berlin: Germany might tighten its restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus, Health Minister Jens Spahn said, as the European Union’s most populous country struggles to bring down the number of new infections.

“A short and comprehensive approach to really make a difference is probably more successful. If we don’t get there within the next one or two weeks until Christmas, we have to discuss it,” Spahn told public broadcaster Phoenix, according to comments distributed late on Monday.

Spahn did not rule out lockdown measures that would affect retailers, the TV station added.

Germany introduced a partial lockdown in early November and banned in-door dining in restaurants. Shops and schools remain open.

Political leaders believe the restrictions prevented further exponential growth of new infections, but numbers have plateaued. Germany reported 487 deaths on a single day last week, the highest number since the start of the pandemic.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)