Coronavirus: German leader Angela Merkel enters self-quarantine as death toll passes 5,000 in Italy
- Merkel had contact with a doctor who tested positive for the virus
- Spain extends state of emergency another 15 days
German leader Angela Merkel has to be put under self-quarantine as a precaution for Covid-19, while Italy’s death rate has reached an all-time high of 9.3 per cent. Both countries have further tightened restrictions on social life.
Europe continues to struggle with how to prevent a collapse of the health care system, of which Italy has been on the verge. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stopped short of a lockdown but hinted that interventions could come “at the moment they can have the maximum effect”.
Germans were thrown in a state of shock as their leader, Chancellor Angela Merkel, had to be put under self-quarantine because she had been in touch with a doctor tested positive to the coronavirus.
“Even from domestic quarantine, the chancellor will continue her official business”, her spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters.
The news came soon after Merkel announced drastic measures for the whole of Germany, including a ban of any meetings with more than two people. The decision has been endorsed by the leaders of all 16 states across Germany, the European Union’s biggest economy.