Merkel and governors agree to extend shutdown

Chancellor Angela Merkel and the governors of Germany's 16 states agreed on Tuesday to extend COVID-19 restrictions until mid-February amid concerns that new mutations of the virus could trigger a surge in cases. The country's infection rate has stabilized in recent days, indicating that existing restrictions may have been effective in bringing down the numbers.

On Tuesday, Germany's disease control center reported 11,369 new confirmed infections and 989 deaths, bringing the total death toll to 47,622. In addition to extending the closure of restaurants, most stores and schools until February 14, officials also agreed to require people to wear the more effective FFP2 or KN95 masks on public transport and in stores.