Published 20:10 IST, February 20th 2021
German Chancellor Angela Merkel forgets to wear face mask, video surfaces online
German Chancellor Angela Merkel briefly panicked when she realised she wasn't wearing a mask during a parliament session in Berlin. Netizens react to the video

German Chancellor Angela Merkel briefly panicked when she realised she wasn't wearing a mask during a parliament session in Berlin. In a viral video, she is seen alarmed when she had no mask on and immediately rushed back to get one before she came back to the podium.
Netizens had mixed reactions after watching the video. While some praised her for being a "responsible leader", a few commented on how it was wrong for her to grab a mask from someone who was already cleaning a table, while others could totally relate to her reaction.
One user wrote, "With great power comes great responsibility! She is a perfect example! Wearing mask is non-negotiable; even if someone is the country head!" The other wrote, "cleaner had already touched mask and she wore same mask."
WATCH VIDEO
Chancellor Angela Merkel, starred in a small oversight in the German Parliament, after forgetting her mask after giving a speech. You identify?
— Alphoenix (@Alphoenix0) February 18, 2021
pic.twitter.com/GQBQvTzBJT
NETIZENS REACT
Angela Merkel realized she was on TV! "Where's my mask? Am I on TV?" She put the first one she found without respecting the sanitary order not to handle the mask with her hands, mainly from third parties. HYPOCRITICAL!! pic.twitter.com/4EScG7xJhV
— Artur Baudert (@AFelipeMB) February 14, 2021
Angela Merkel is all of us when we enter a store and forgot our mask. 🏃♀️ 😷
— Auntie B (@b_auntie) February 20, 2021
Cleaner had already touched mask & she wore same mask. This is how infections travel than careful & just down mask while giving speech & then, take it back on face. Wonder she had not gone for other mask but had donned same again despite seen person cleaning table #AngelaMerkel
— Aryan (@aryann_in) February 20, 2021
Can happen to anyone 👍
— IoannaDementiEU (@IoannaDementi) February 18, 2021
Goddess #AngelaMerkel 🇪🇺
Via Karol G. pic.twitter.com/J5fdkG1hjL
The moment no #mask #AngelaMerkel
— purplesat.com (@purplesat) February 20, 2021
came FAR TOO CLOSE
to the person at the podium
Don't put #mask on podium
Keep spare #mask handy
Allow the person to STEP BACK
Retreive #mask
Put #mask on
BEFORE walking back
Patience 1st or we get more patients
Germany sees drop in virus cases flatten as variant surges
The head of Germany's disease control agency warned Friday that a decline in new coronavirus cases the country saw has leveled off while the share of cases involving more contagious variants is rising.
Robert Koch Institute President Lothar Wieler said Germany may be heading toward another turning point in the pandemic after weeks of falling infections.
His agency reported 9,113 new COVID-19 cases in the past day, and 508 more virus-related deaths. Germany has recorded almost 2.4 million confirmed cases and 67,206 deaths from the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic.
(With AP inputs)
Updated 20:10 IST, February 20th 2021