German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned that the coronavirus pandemic is “likely to get more difficult in the coming months,” cautioning that society "is never going to be the same" until a successful vaccine is developed.

“Things will not return to normal until we have a coronavirus vaccine,” Merkel said Friday.

“We will have to live longer with new coronavirus [cases],” she added.

Speaking during her annual summer press conference in Berlin, Merkel stressed that the “economy should be kept alive or brought back to life,” adding that Germany will “work with the European Parliament so that the recovery fund can be launched early next year.”

The Chancellor’s comments come just a day after the introduction of tougher measures in Germany to curb the spread of coronavirus ahead of the autumn and winter season, including new travel regulations.

“We can see that the number of infections has risen in recent weeks…we take this increase in the summer months very seriously,” Merkel said.