German state health ministers call to extend state of emergency as COVID cases soar

FILE PHOTO: Germany's acting Chancellor Angela Merkel gestures as she attends a session of the German lower house of Parliament, Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, November 11, 2021. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse

BERLIN (Reuters) -Three German state health ministers urged parties negotiating to form a new government to prolong states' power to implement stricter pandemic measures such as lockdowns or school closures as the country's seven-day COVID incidence rate hit record highs.

The number of people per 100,000 infected last week rose to 277.4, data from the Robert Koch Institute showed on Saturday, and has risen to over 500 in some regions of the country.