The German government approved on Tuesday an amendment to the country's Infection Protection Act that would provide a legal basis for uniform COVID-19 measures across the country.

Axar.az reports that this was reported by foreign media.

"The federal emergency brake will then no longer be a matter of interpretation but will apply automatically," Chancellor Angela Merkel said during a press conference on Tuesday when announcing the amendment.

Once the seven-day incidence rate of reported COVID-19 cases in the past seven days per 100,000 citizens exceeds 100 for three consecutive days, the Infection Protection Act would mandate contact restrictions, local night-time curfews, and the closure of non-essential shops as well as leisure and sports facilities.

Until now, Germany's COVID-19 response has been characterized by regional differences as the ultimate legal power rested with the country's federal states. Although Merkel and the state governments agreed on an emergency brake in case the seven-day incidence rate exceeds 100, not all states reacted accordingly in recent weeks.

"The confusion about what applies when in one county or another, or what does not apply when, that will be over," Merkel said.