Watch: No handshake for Angela Merkel as coronavirus’ panic spreads across globe

When Merkel reached out to greet Horst Seehofer at a meeting, he smiled and kept both his hands to himself. They both laughed and Merkel then threw her hand up in the air before taking a seat. "That is the right thing to do," she said.

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Health experts have recommended avoiding handshakes as a way of preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus.

As the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus see a surge across the globe, Germany’s interior minister refused to shake hands with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s fearing the spread of the infection.

When Merkel reached out to greet Horst Seehofer at a meeting on migration in Berlin, he smiled and kept both his hands to himself. They both laughed and Merkel then threw her hand up in the air before taking a seat. “That is the right thing to do,” she said as she took her seat while guests at the meeting also burst out laughing.

Health experts have recommended avoiding handshakes as a way of preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The German Interior Minister chose not to shake Chancellor Angela Merkel’s hand today due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

Horst Seehofer has said he’s stopped offering handshakes because of the virus.

Merkel later said it was “the right thing to do”. pic.twitter.com/tQnQMXvyFs

— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) March 2, 2020

The virus, which first emerged in China, has now infected more than 89,000 people in 70 countries on every continent but Antarctica. The death toll has topped 3,000, with majority casualties being reported from China. South Korea, with the worst outbreak outside China, reported 599 new cases, bringing the total to 4,335.

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The rapid spread of the coronavirus has raised fears over its impact on the world economy, causing global markets to log their worst losses since the 2008 financial crisis. Many countries have banned arrivals from virus-hit countries and have urged citizens to refrain from travelling there.

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Charlie Kirk fatally shot at Utah Valley University

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