Participants at a closed meeting of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the party’s last before the summer break, said Merkel backed attaining a vaccination rate of 80 per cent.

Unvaccinated children would be vulnerable in the autumn, she said. However, the chancellor also noted that hospitalization rates resulting from the variant were not that high.

According to data from the official disease control body, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), by Sunday 56.5 per cent of the population had received at least one dose of vaccine, with 38.9 per cent fully vaccinated. The German authorities say that full vaccination offers good protection against hospitalization for the virus.

Merkel is reported to have said that the issue of how to deal with the pandemic in schools would have “top priority” after the holidays.

Spahn said that while the vaccination programme was proceeding well, the rate was slackening. He called for vaccination to be offered connected to activities, such as attending an event in a stadium.

CDU vice chairman Thomas Strobl expressed concern at full stadia, planes and tourist venues on the Spanish holiday island of Mallorca, a popular destination for German holidaymakers.

RKI figures continued to show a steady decline in infections, hospitalizations and deaths resulting from the virus. Infections in the 24 hours to early Monday came in at 212, with no deaths recorded. A week ago there were eight deaths in a similar period.