14 out of 16 German states now have over an average of 100 new cases of infection per 100,000 inhabitants in the past week.
This is the border that the states and the government have agreed on would trigger an emergency brake where parts of society are shut down again.
Instead, some states plan to open more, in combination with testing.
For example, the largest state in North Rhine-Westphalia wants to allow shopping for anyone with a negative covid test, even though they have already passed the level of the emergency brake.
"There are several states that have made very broad interpretations and it has not filled me with joy," Merkel commented.
Decide together
In Germany, the government and the Länder decide together on measures during the pandemic.
There have been several squeaks between the leaders of the various Länder about how open or closed the German door should be at different stages.
During the interview, Angela Merkel reiterated several times that she may be forced to act shortly and mentioned a tightening of the Infection Control Act as a way to take power over the increasingly divided situation.
"One possibility is to take up the Infection Control Act again and specifically say what must happen in which case," Merkel said.