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Merkel calls for decision on tougher lockdown next week

The German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for a decision on a tougher lockdown next week.

Germany has recorded a new record number of deaths from the coronavirus on Thursday.

This is prompting calls for an even tighter lockdown after the country emerged relatively unscathed in 2020.

Chancellor Angela Merkel wanted a "mega-lockdown", mass-selling newspaper Bild reported.

The move will be to shut down the country for the fear of fast-spreading variant of the virus first detected in Britain.

Germany's daily death toll currently equates to about 15 deaths per million people, versus a 13 US deaths per million.

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported 25,164 new coronavirus cases and 1,244 fatalities, bringing Germany's total death toll since the start of the pandemic to 43,881.

Market implications

The euro is struggling to maintain bid above the current daily support:

The eurozone's spread of the virus is hindering economic recovery bets and in comparison to recovery prospects in the United States, markets are backing the bid in the US dollar instead. 

Author

Ross J Burland

Ross J Burland, born in England, UK, is a sportsman at heart. He played Rugby and Judo for his county, Kent and the South East of England Rugby team.

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