German Chancellor Angela Merkel has gone into self-isolation after the doctor who gave her a vaccination on Friday afternoon tested positive for COVID-19. She will keep working from home and she will be tested regularly over the next few days for the virus. 

The news overshadowed Merkel's earlier announcement of tough new restrictions on German citizens. Meetings of more than two people – with the exception of people in the same household – will be forbidden everywhere in the country. The German government feels this ban is more reasonable than putting the country under a lockdown.

The new measures are based upon social distancing. People who don't share the same living space must keep a distance of 1.50 meters between each other when meeting outside. Restaurants, cafes, hairdressers and other similar services where a distance of two meters between people must shut down. Traveling to work and exercising outdoors is still allowed.

Merkel has specified that these are not recommendations but rules, and that the police will reinforce them and sanction those who fail to comply. Germany has so far suffered 92 deaths from almost 24,000 cases.

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