Merkel says Germans will be fined for flouting coronavirus rules amid spike in cases

With coronavirus cases on the rise in Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that officials will levy fines for violations of national safety precautions.

Merkel said the country was not in a position to further loosen the measures, noting that daily cases in Germany have doubled over the last three weeks. She said the uptick “should not continue and we need to contain it,” and that those who do not comply with hygiene and social distancing rules will be subject to fines.

“We are in the midst of the pandemic,” she said Tuesday, according to Bloomberg.

Several other European nations have also reimposed restrictions to prevent virus numbers from spiking out of control. Spanish and Italian nightclubs have closed again, while Greek restaurants and bars are operating under limited hours.

German officials, meanwhile, will require anyone returning from areas experiencing spikes, such as Spain, to either quarantine for two weeks or provide proof they have tested negative.

“More mobility and contact between people leads to higher numbers of cases,” Merkel said, according to Bloomberg. “The virus is here, even if it’s not visible. There’s no vaccine and no medication.”

Germany saw 1,693 new cases in the past 24 hours, the highest in nearly four months. The daily new cases were significantly higher in the early spring, when they reached nearly 7,000. Recent outbreaks have originated with large gatherings such as bigger family events as well as schools and professional facilities, according to Bloomberg. More than 650 cases were also linked to a meat processing plant in June.

“If we can manage this, the good news is that there is a lot of public life that we can allow to happen,” Merkel said.

Germany, which has seen nearly 9,300 deaths from the virus, was hailed as a success story among European nations early in the pandemic.