Merkel In Quarantine After Contact With Infected Doctor: Italy Bans All Movement Inside The Country

It was not immediately clear if as a result, Germany contingency plans are activated and Merkel's chancellorship is delegated to someone else until she is cleared of being infected.

And to think that just a few hours earlier Merkel was out and about, doing her own shopping, which some twitter commentator found "oddly comforting."

Europe is clamping down on any person-to-person contract in what can only be described as an unprecedented lockdown.

On Sunday, Germany, whose coronavirus cases soared in the past week, announced it would ban gatherings of more than two people. And while Germany stopped short of forcibly confining people to their homes - as Wuhan did - it will prevent citizens meeting in groups for at least two weeks, with only families and people sharing a home exempt, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Sunday. Restaurants will be closed except for takeout and delivery services.

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