Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Friday that coronavirus hot spots in Germany will be given 10 days to tackle their rising coronavirus numbers before tougher action is taken.
"We all sense that the big cities, the urban areas, are now the arena where we will see if we can keep the pandemic under control in Germany as we have done for months, or if we lose control," Merkel said after talks with German mayors.
The chancellor welcomed the reintroduction of restrictions in some cities, including Berlin, and praised Munich for having already proven that outbreaks can be brought under control with mask rules and limits on socializing.
"The infection numbers might be rising, but we are anything but powerless," she added.
Germany's national disease control authority on Friday reported 4,516 new infections over a one-day period, bringing the total caseload to 314,660.
