A third wave of infections rages in Germany 0:49
Berlin (CNN) - German
Chancellor Angela Merkel announced Tuesday a harsh five-day lockdown over Easter as the country battles a sharp rise in new coronavirus infections.
Almost all stores will be closed during the Easter period from April 1 to April 5, and no more than five people over the age of 14 from two households will be able to meet.
Grocery stores will be open for one day only, Saturday April 3.
The country's general lockdown measures will also run until April 18, Merkel said.
Germans have been living under various levels of restrictions since mid-December.
Europe lost its chance to stop the third wave of covid-19
The country's public health authority reported 7,485 new infections and 250 deaths in a 24-hour period on Tuesday.
The number of daily infections is 2,000 cases higher than a week ago.
More than 108 people out of 100,000 are now infected each week.
"We know that the current emergency measures will not be enough to stop exponential growth," Merkel said after lengthy negotiations on Monday night in Berlin.
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(Photo by MICHAEL KAPPELER / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
“That is why April 1, Holy Thursday and April 3 will be declared days of rest this year with extended contact restrictions and a ban on meetings from April 1 to 5.
That means extended closings during Easter.
For the five days in a row, the principle is: we will stay home, "said Merkel.
Germany has recorded more than 74,000 deaths from covid-19 since the pandemic began, and Merkel has said the country is experiencing a third wave of infections.
Germany's vaccine program, like many in the European Union, has been hit by supply shortages.
The UK and the EU have been embroiled in a new dispute over the doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine and, according to reports, the head of the bloc, Ursula von der Leyen, threatened to block a batch of injections from a plant in the Netherlands. so they are not exported to the UK.
CNN's Angela Dewan and Samantha Beech contributed to this report.
Angela Merkel
