In a turnabout move, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told state premiers in a video call that there would not be a strict lockdown over Easter after all. This follows a day of criticism and confusion in Germany, writes DW.

The Chancellor and the leaders of Germany’s 16 states will reverse their plan to toughen virus lockdown measures over Easter.

Merkel announced the changes after an impromptu videoconference with the 16 regional leaders in which she explained the U-turn and said the mistake was ultimately hers to answer for.

During a press conference, she said the Easter lockdown was formed “with the best of intentions”, but on closer analysis, the planned shutdown risked doing more harm than good.

“It was well reasoned, but was not really doable in such a short time. Far too many questions, from missing wages through to the loss of time in factories and facilities, could not be adequately answered in time. We must try to slow down the third wave of the pandemic. Nevertheless, it was a mistake. Because at the end of the day, I carry the last responsibility. It’s now important for me to say so here. A mistake should be called a mistake and above all, it should be corrected, preferably in good time”, - said Merkel, asking citizens for forgiveness.