Merkel urges Germans to accept 'tough' virus restrictions

BERLIN: Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged Germans to accept nationwide pandemic restrictions that took effect at midnight, resulting in a 10 p.m.-to-5 a.m. curfew and further limits on personal contacts and access to nonessential stores in regions with high infections.

In her weekly video address Saturday, Merkel acknowledged that the new rules are "tough” but insisted they are needed to curb the spread of the virus in the country. Germany’s disease control agency on Friday reported 23,392 newly confirmed cases and 286 more deaths from COVID-19. Since the start of the pandemic, Germany has recorded almost 3.3 million cases and 81,444 deaths.