⁍ The number of coronavirus infections hit a daily record of 7,830 on Saturday.

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⁍ Merkel has already stepped down as party leader.

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⁍ She will not run for a record fifth consecutive term at a general election.

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⁍ The CDU will be seeking re-election with a new figurehead.

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– Germany’s second wave of coronavirus has now infected more than 7,000 people in a single day, making it the country’s worst-ever outbreak of the disease. Now the country’s Christian Democrats, Angela Merkel’s ruling party, are considering canceling a Dec. 4 party congress that was to elect a new leader and potential successor, Reuters reports. A party leader was quoted by a German newspaper as saying it would be irresponsible to hold the congress in person when the government is telling people to stay home because of the disease. But a CDU spokeswoman says the congress is still on: “That’s what the CDU leadership has decided.” Merkel, who has stepped down as party leader, will not be seeking re-election in 2021. Three candidates are vying to lead Germany’s most popular party: Armin Laschet, Friedrich Merz, and Norbert Roettgen. Parliament this month passed legislation allowing virtual party conferences to pass resolutions and elect leaders, either by postal vote or by locally-held secret ballot. The congress would be the CDU’s first since Merkel announced she would not be seeking re-election in 2021, meaning the party would be seeking re-election with a new figurehead. The 66-year-old chancellor, who has already stepped down as party leader, will not run for a record fifth consecutive term at a general election due in September 2021. The number of coronavirus infections hit a daily record of 7,830 on Saturday. One party leader told Handelsblatt that an in-person gathering could not be justified when the government was telling people to stay at home.