Kathmandu. February 25. German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday warned that the fast-spreading new strains of Coronavirus have initiated a third wave of COVID-19 that could provoke another national lockdown in Germany. 

During an online conference with the members of the parliament, Merkel said that the country needs to apply a 3-stage gradual re-opening of the economy so that a third wave does not necessitate a new complete shutdown. “We cannot afford ups and downs,” said Merkel.

The Chancellor is scheduled to meet the leaders of the 16 states next week, to discuss the intelligent strategy of gradually ending the lockdown that began in November and was extended until March 7.

Media reports suggest that the first stage will involve lifting restrictions on personal contacts between households. The second stage will resume the schools and sports facilities. And, the third stage would restart the rest of economy including restaurants and cultural institutions. 

Due to the new fast-spreading strains, Germany has witnessed an increasing number of daily infections in February. So far, only 4 per cent of the public have been vaccinated against the virus. Therefore, the government will also focus on boosting the testing and the vaccination drive. “Making rapid tests more available and boosting testing capacity could make a return to normality more durable”, sources from the closed-door conference told Reuters.