BERLIN • German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned that Germany may need to consider border crossing curbs if other European countries do not act to halt the spread of the coronavirus, particularly its new, more transmissible variants.

"We can do anything we like, but we will not succeed if others are not working in parallel," Dr Merkel told journalists on Tuesday, two days ahead of a videoconference of European leaders.

"We need to make sure that everyone around us is doing the same. Otherwise, we have to look at measures such as entry restrictions."

The European Union is urging member states to do more to track dangerous virus mutations with genome sequencing. Only one is testing more than 1 per cent of samples, while some others are not sequencing at all.

To halt runaway growth in new coronavirus infections, Germany closed restaurants, and leisure and sporting facilities in November, then expanded the shutdown in the middle of last month to include schools and most shops.

They will all remain closed until Feb 14.

New infections have been falling in recent days and pressure on intensive care units has eased slightly, but virologists - pointing to the situation in Britain, which has Europe's highest Covid-19 death toll - warn that the mutant variants could undo all progress.

Germany shares borders with nine countries, and there are growing concerns about infection rates in some of them, including the Czech Republic, where commuter traffic is heavy.

Most schools will remain closed, despite opposition. This is given the evidence that some new variants are more transmissible among children, said Dr Merkel.

"If we had a situation like London, then we wouldn't be talking about schools any more but about ambulances and overflowing hospitals," she said.

Dr Merkel and state premiers agreed to make the wearing of medical masks mandatory on public transport and in shops, meaning that only surgical masks, or the so-called FFP2 masks, will be allowed.

In addition, companies must let employees work from home until March 15 where possible.

Aid for hard-hit companies is to be improved, and retailers' writedowns on seasonal goods - which could include winter coats or ski equipment - will be taken into account.

A waiver on insolvency filings for firms hit by the coronavirus crisis will be extended until the end of April. The provision, which had been due to expire at the end of the month, has helped contain bankruptcies in Europe's largest economy.

Experts have been alarmed by data showing that Germans appeared to be moving around almost as normal this winter, unlike in the spring, when a shutdown appeared to have caused a drastic drop in mobility.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 15,974 to 2,068,002, data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed yesterday. The reported death toll rose by 1,148 to 48,770, the tally showed.

Germany aims to bring the number of infections per 100,000 inhabitants over seven days down to no more than 50. That number currently stands at 132.

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, BLOOMBERG