WEB DESK
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has cautiously praised her country’s dip in COVID-19 cases but said the country needs to be “very careful” going forward. She urged state leaders to take care to avoid another widespread outbreak.
She said the country needs to be “very careful” going forward. She urged state leaders to take care to avoid another widespread outbreak.
As leaders in Germany’s 16 states take on more responsibility for monitoring the coronavirus and loosening restrictions, Chancellor Angela Merkel said it is more important than ever to have a coordinated response.
“I very much agree that everyone should work within their own areas of responsibility,” Merkel said during a press conference on Wednesday. “This also means, however, that it is important to me as the chancellor and to the entire federal government that we have a consensus on fundamental issues.”
With her signature caution, Merkel also praised the fall in the number of COVID-19 cases, but emphasized that the virus “hasn’t gone away.”
“We’re still living at the beginning of the pandemic,” Merkel said. “We have gained better control, but the virus is still there.”
The chancellor’s remarks came on the heels of a meeting with the leaders of Germany’s eastern states, some of whom have been pushing to further relax COVID-19 restrictions.