Merkel: Germany past ‘crest of 2nd wave,’ urges patience

Merkel: Germany past ‘crest of 2nd wave,’ urges patience

Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany is over the peak of its latest surge in coronavirus cases but she wants to wait for data on the spread of new variants before deciding on lifting restrictions.

In an interview with German broadcaster RTL, Merkel said she warned months ago that the country faced a hard winter.

"And still we can say, the crest of the second wave has been passed," she said, adding that Germans need to "hold out a little longer" until vaccinations start having an effect on hospitalizations and the number of older people becoming seriously ill from COVID-19.

"I can see a light shining at the end of the tunnel," Merkel said. However, the chancellor also cautioned against "false hopes."

As Germany nears 60,000 confirmed deaths in the pandemic, Merkel said she wanted to wait for fresh data on the prevalence of new coronavirus variants in the country before deciding whether to discuss easing restrictions at a meeting with state governors.

Merkel said 70 of the country’s 401 regions saw the number of new cases go below the target threshold of 50 per 100,000 inhabitants in a week, The AP reported.

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