International Desk: Germany is going to impose a strict lockdown on the occasion of Easter Sunday from April 1 to 5, in an effort to break a spike in coronavirus cases..

Chancellor Angela Merkel made the announcement after a marathon deliberations with regional leaders on Tuesday (March 23rd) morning, warning that her country is facing a significantly more deadly wave of the coronavirus.

According to the AFP news agency, Germany will effectively shut down for an extended Easter break in a bid to curb the rising rate of infection with the virus.

In addition to extending existing measures, Merkel and the prime ministers of 16 German states have agreed to impose a strict lockdown, including the closure of cultural, leisure and sports centers,on the country from April 1 to 5. During the shutdown all stores are ordered shuttered, with only supermarkets allowed to open on the Saturday, Churches are asked to hold services online.

Germany is tighten restrictions as more contagious virus variants spread, people are being asked to stay home and not travel.

“We are in a very, very serious situation,"Ms. Merkel told a news conference, “After we were able to sharply bring down the number of new infections in January, we are now experiencing, through the spread of the more contagious British variant."

Manyother European countries like Poland, Italy and parts of France have ordered that residents stay home, and many businesses have shut ahead of the holiday.

Sun News