Merkel urges Germans to accept ‘tough’ virus restrictions

BERLIN (AP) — Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged Germans to accept nationwide pandemic restrictions that took effect at midnight. The measures impose a 10 p.m.-to-5 a.m. curfew and further limit personal contacts and access to nonessential stores in regions with high infection rates. They automatically took effect in regions with more than 100 new cases a week per 100,000 inhabitants. In her weekly video address Saturday, Merkel acknowledged that the new rules are “tough” but insisted they are “urgently needed” to curb the spread of the virus in Germany. The country’s disease control agency on Friday reported 23,392 new cases and 286 more deaths from COVID-19. Overall, Germany has seen over 81,000 deaths in the pandemic.