BERLIN – German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday threw her weight behind a “short, uniform lockdown” as the country grapples with a high level of coronavirus cases fueled by the spread of a more contagious variant first detected in Britain.
German state governors, who are responsible for imposing and lifting virus restrictions, have taken differing approaches lately.
Some have continued to back limited reopening steps while others advocate a stricter shutdown. Armin Laschet, a governor who also leads Merkel’s conservative party, called this week for a vaguely defined 2-3 week “bridge lockdown” to control infections while Germany steps up a so-far slow vaccination campaign.