Merkel warns of ‘difficult winter’ as German coronavirus cases hit new high

German Chancellor Angela Merkel delivers a speech about German government’s policies to combat the spread of the coronavirus (Markus Schreiber/AP)

Chancellor Angela Merkel has told Germans to expect a “difficult winter” as the country’s daily coronavirus cases hit a new high on Thursday.

Speaking to Parliament a day after she and the governors of Germany’s 16 states agreed on far-reaching restrictions to curb the spread of the virus, Mrs Merkel said the country faces “a dramatic situation at the beginning of the cold season”.