German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday referred to Europe's second wave of coronavirus infections as "serious," adding that the bloc had to show it had learned its lesson from the onset of the pandemic earlier this year, according to dpa.
"We have to show that we have learned our lesson," the German chancellor told local representatives from the European Committee of the Regions via videoconference, referring to the far-reaching lockdowns that caused the bloc's gross domestic product to plummet.
"We have to ask the people of Europe to be careful, to follow the rules, to keep their distance, to cover their mouths and noses and to do what they can to contain the virus while still maintaining economic activity," she concluded.
