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The rate at which Germans are infected with the coronavirus has risen above the level at which authorities say healthcare systems will be overburdened, increasing pressure on political leaders to tighten lockdown measures.
National and regional leaders will meet by videoconference on Monday to decide on the next round of measures to tackle the pandemic. At their last meeting earlier this month, they agreed to a cautious opening, despite objections from Chancellor Angela Merkel, who warned that more infectious variants meant the pandemic would be difficult to control.
According to the Robert Koch Institute for Infectious Diseases, the number of cases per 100,000 residents for a week stood at 103.9 on Sunday, above the threshold of 100 at which intensive care units can no longer keep up.
Public fatigue over the closure measures, now in its fourth month, is growing, but figures suggest that state prime ministers may be forced to pull the “emergency brake” they agreed to on March 2, reversing the opening of some stores.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany rose by 13,733 to 2,659,516, according to the RKI. The reported death toll rose 99 to 74,664, the tally showed.
This story has been published from a news agency feed with no changes to the text.
