Prognosis
Merkel Ties Pandemic Exit to Immunization Rates of Over 60%
- Chancellor hints at long road ahead in fight against Covid-19
- Germany enters hard lockdown with stores closing on Wednesday
The near-empty city center of Frankfurt on Dec. 16.
Photographer: Boris Roessler/Getty Images
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Chancellor Angela Merkel tied an exit from the coronavirus pandemic to immunizing more than 60% of the population, indicating a long fight still ahead.
Germany is targeting so-called herd immunity, which means most of the population is resistant to the disease, Merkel said Wednesday in Germany’s lower house of parliament, as a hard shutdown takes effect across Europe’s largest economy.