Merkel says fighting virus demands war-time solidarity

EMBARGOED FOR 1830 German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday urged all citizens to help fight the spread of the coronavirus by sticking to the latest rules aimed at reducing direct social contact and avoiding as much new infections as possible.

"It is serious. Take it seriously," Merkel said in a televised speech. "Since German reunification, actually, since World War Two, there has never been a challenge for our country in which acting in solidarity was so very crucial." Merkel appealed to citizens to abide by the unprecedented rules restricting public life, agreed with the 16 federal states earlier this week, adding: "As the government, we will always re-examine what can be corrected, but also what may still be necessary."