Merkel holds briefing before entering quarantine

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday held a briefing on measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus, before going into quarantine herself after being informed that a doctor who administered a vaccine to her had tested positive for the new coronavirus.

Merkel, 65, was informed about the doctor's test shortly after holding the news conference, her spokesman said, adding that the chancellor had received the precautionary vaccine against pneumococcal infection on Friday.

In public, people are only allowed to move about either alone, with people from their own household, or with a maximum of one other person, while keeping at least 1.5 metres distance from one another. The new measures have the effect that "fundamentally the same rules apply across the country", Merkel said on Sunday.