(Bloomberg) -- Olaf Scholz, the Social Democrat who's aiming to succeed Angela Merkel as German chancellor next month, urged the public to get Covid shots as the country battles a record surge in infections.
“This is a moment in which we as a country have to stand together,” Scholz said on Wednesday in Berlin.
Scholz, currently the finance minister, will join Merkel on Thursday in a video conference with state leaders to discuss efforts to contain the coronavirus. His three-way coalition of the SPD, Greens and pro-business Free Democrats also plan to present legislation on Thursday to replace emergency powers that will expire on Nov. 25.
Read more: Germany Pushes Work From Home to Counter Europe's Covid Surge
The new law is designed to provide a nationwide framework while giving regions room to tighten restrictions in coronavirus hot spots where needed. Scholz said the legislation provided a “massive catalog” of measures. The effort is aimed at unvaccinated people as authorities seek to prevent widespread curbs.
“What's important is that we convince a lot of people to get vaccinated, that's the best protection from an infection,” he said. “We see right now in intensive-care units how important it is for citizens to be protected.”
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