Angela Merkel urges German politicians to pass ’emergency brake’ Covid bill

Medical personnel wearing protective equipment work in the intensive care ward for Covid-19 patients at the SRH Waldklinikum hospital in Gera, Germany (Bodo Schackow/AP)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged parliament to pass a bill that would mandate a nationwide “emergency brake” when the spread of the coronavirus becomes too rapid, saying that it was needed to prevent the country’s health care system from becoming overwhelmed.

“The situation is serious, very serious, and we need to take it seriously,” she told politicians.