She said the numbers are not just a statistic, but a father or grandfather, a mother or grandmother or a partner. She told Germans to show affection by Skype, phone calls, emails and maybe write letters again. Grandchildren should send videos or podcasts to their grandparents. In the speech she gave to the German parliament, she spelled it all out even more. She said it was no longer possible to ignore scientists' urgent appeals for tough measures. She quoted from the world famous Robert Koch Institute and Germany's National Academy of Sciences. It's worth quoting her directly: "When Gluhwein (mulled wine) stands are being built, when waffle stands are being built, that's not compatible with what we had agreed of only takeaways for food and drinks. I am really sorry from the bottom of my heart... but if the price we pay is 590 deaths a day then that, in my view, is not acceptable."