BERLIN (GERMANY) – Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said on Tuesday that the number of new coronavirus infections in Germany is likely to touch 20,000 a day at the end of this week.
Altmaier told a German-French economic conference via video link in Berlin, “We are dealing with exponential growth. In Germany the number of new infections is rising by 70-75% compared to the week before.”
At the end of September, Chancellor Angela Merkel said there could be 19,200 cases per day by Christmas.
On Tuesday, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose by 11,409.
Merkel and leaders of Germany’s 16 states will meet on Wednesday to take decisions on additional restrictive measures.
Altmaier said rising infections across Europe and corresponding curbs on daily life would be challenging for economic growth.
The German government expects Europe’s largest economy to shrink by 5.5% this year, a source told on Monday.