Merkel urges patience as German coronavirus restrictions extended

German Chancellor Angela Merkel adjusts her face mask as she arrives for a parliament session about German government’s policies to combat the spread of the coronavirus (Markus Schreiber/AP)

Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged Germans to remain patient with coronavirus restrictions, saying that, with promising vaccines on the way, “there is light at the end of the tunnel”.

Addressing parliament the day after agreeing with state governors to extend restrictions until December 20, Ms Merkel said officials had sought to keep life as normal as possible while protecting people from the virus and ensuring hospital systems aren’t overwhelmed.