German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Germans to avoid visiting family members over Christmas and to use video calls instead for greeting the near and dear ones, the way the people stationed abroad do, as the country battles COVID-19. Germany is struggling hard with a rise in coronavirus infections and deaths. People who praised Merkel for having tamed the first wave has turned to criticise of her perceived failure to tackle the second.

“Women and men stationed far away from home to ensure our security know what it means to have limited contact with loved ones,” Merkel said in her weekly video podcast. she added, referring to Microsoft’s video calling system, “They know what it means to only be able to Skype over a long period of time instead of being together". The Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases said Germany has recorded more than 31,000 new infections and 702 deaths on Saturday. 

It is the double the number as reported on December 15. Germany is in lockdown expected to extend till January 10, 2021. “What awaits many of us over Christmas is ordinary for people on missions abroad,” she said on Saturday, speaking with a Christmas tree in the background. She is constantly making emotional appeals ahead of Christmas and the New Year, urging Germans to avoid unnecessary travel and to limit social contacts to an absolute minimum as health experts warn of a spike in infections over the holidays. 

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