Outgoing chancellor urges Germans to get vaccinated

Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Germans to get vaccinated against COVID-19, as she made what was likely her final appeal before leaving office next week.

She renewed a plea to Germans to take the virus seriously, adding that the new omicron variant appeared to be "even more contagious than the previous ones".

Merkel is expected to leave office on Wednesday and be replaced by Social Democratic Party leader Olaf Scholz, currently vice chancellor.  At least 68.9% of Germans are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.