This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. A daunting task awaits the Social Democratic party SPD the Greens and the Free Democratic party FDP which will govern Germany once Olaf Scholz is sworn in as Chancellor the week of December 6. Spokesman Steffen Seibert said that Ms Merkel appealed to the heads of the three parties to take further steps to contain the epidemic, as Germany was on the way to an emergency like we have never had before. Ms Merkel stressed the extraordinary seriousness of the situation in a meeting with the leaders. He said hospital occupancy and lack of staff in intensive care units is forcing the postponement of important non-Covid-related medical interventions. READ MORE: Covid: Fears over 'horrific' new variant hitting the globe - may be 'worse than Delta'
Outgoing Health Minister Jens Spahn told Germany's Deutschlandfunk: "We are having to move patients around as intensive care units are full, and that doesn't just affect COVID 19 patients." According to German Press Agency dpa, Ms Merkel advised the parties to tighten coronaviruses measures in order to reduce the burden on the healthcare system. The seven-day incidence rate surpasses 400 for the first time since the pandemic began on Wednesday, breaking a new record for the number of coronaviruses. According to the Robert Koch Institute RKI, there were 404.5 new infections per 100,000 people in the past week across Germany, up from the milestone of 300 recorded on November 15, and 200 the week before that. Official figures released on Thursday show that Germany has joined a list of countries — Russia, the UK, Italy and France — that have surpassed 100,000 deaths from COVID - 19.
British Army fury as a new badge compared to Nazi and Apartheid death squad symbols ANALYSIS Boy, 8, placed into induced coma after rare side effects of Covid INSIGHT Why Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark will not be happy with Merkel's replacement REPORT, because they have previously made their position clear, saying: We are in a highly dramatic situation. What is in place now isn't sufficient. Many German regions have already started to impose stricter rules, including the requirement for vaccinated people to show a negative test to enter indoor spaces. The southern German state of Bavaria has imposed a lock down for all districts that have a seven day Covid incidence rate of over 1,000 per 100,000 people, and has cancelled its popular Christmas markets. More measures are expected to come into force soon, as the Bundestag, the lower house of parliament, has voted for new restrictions on the workplace and public transport.