The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel is preparing to extend the lockdown across Germany until April, which was due to end on 1 February.
It has been reported that Merkel is calling the new more virilant mutant variant the “British virus,” as it was first discovered in the UK.
Health Minister Jens Spahn said the country needs to further reduce social contacts as the virus is taking hold, and the government believe that by Easter there could be ten times as many cases.
The German newspaper Bild quoted the Chancellor saying, “If we don’t manage to stop this British virus, then we will have 10 times the number of cases by Easter.
“We need eight to 10 more weeks of tough measures.”
She added, that “the coming eight to ten weeks would be very hard if the British variant spreads to Germany.”