German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on the Germans to accept the nationwide restrictions imposed in connection with the pandemic, which came into force at midnight, AP reported.

In her weekly video message to Merkel, she acknowledged the new rules were tough, but insisted they were necessary to contain the spread of the virus in the country.

The German disease control agency has reported 23,392 new confirmed cases and more than 286 deaths of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours.

Merkel said the new measures, which automatically take effect in regions with more than 100 new cases per week per 100,000 inhabitants, are urgently needed.

No country that managed to stop the third wave of the pandemic and then loosen restrictions again did so without tough measures such as a night curfew, Merkel said.