Merkel says pandemic to worsen, to focus on social cohesion, economy

German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives for her annual summer news conference during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Berlin, Germany, August 28, 2020. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi/Pool

BERLIN — German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday the coronavirus pandemic was likely to worsen in coming months, and that her government would respond by prioritizing the welfare of society as a whole, notably its children, and the economy.

The government will be “doing everything so that our children are not the losers of the pandemic. School and daycare need to be the most important things,” she told reporters at a news conference.

The government would also seek to keep the economy going, or to restart it where it was still stunted by the pandemic, and to preserve jobs.

The third priority would be a spirit of social solidarity as the pandemic hits some people, such as elderly or low-income families, harder than others.

Germany has managed to keep COVID-19 cases and deaths relatively low compared with some other large European countries. But the number of new daily infections has been rising since early July and has accelerated in recent weeks.