In an attempt to bring the coronavirus resurgence back under control, Angela Merkel is expected to push for a new limited lockdown - or a “lockdown light” - in Wednesday’s negotiations with state leaders, according to several reports in the German media. 

Angela Merkel to push for “limited lockdown” this week

The chancellor is due to meet with the leaders of the German states this week to discuss how to slow down the spread of coronavirus infections in Germany. According to Bild, Merkel is expected to push for more far-reaching measures during the discussions, including a possible “lockdown light”. 

In contrast to the lockdown in the spring, this new limited lockdown would see shops, schools and daycare centres remain open, and only close in areas experiencing particularly high infection rates. However, other areas of life, including the hospitality sector and events, would be forced to close for a limited period of time.

So far, the government has remained relatively tight-lipped about its plans, but Merkel’s spokesperson, Steffan Seibert, did say that the aim was to work together to break the trend as quickly as possible. Everyone is aware, he said, that “every day counts.” The government’s Federal Nursing Officer, Andreas Westerfellhaus, has also advised people to start planning “staggered visits” on Christmas, to avoid large celebrations. 

Majority of German population supports coronavirus measures

According to the latest DeutschlandTrend survey, conducted by public broadcaster ARD, tighter restrictions would find support among a substantial portion of the population. The survey found that support for current measures has slipped eight percentage points since the beginning of the month, with now just a narrow majority (51 percent) assessing the current restrictions as “sufficient”. 

32 percent said that they do not go far enough in view of the sharp rise in the number of new infections, while 15 percent consider them to be too excessive. A YouGov survey found that almost two-thirds of those questioned said that they were expecting a second lockdown involving the closure of shops, restaurants or schools. 

The Robert Koch Institute reported 11.409 new coronavirus infections in the 24 hours prior to Tuesday morning. Just one week ago, the figure was 6.868. On Saturday, a record daily high of 14.714 new infections was recorded in Germany, while the death toll topped the 10.000-mark.