Germany is set to lift most of its coronavirus restrictions by March 20 after apparently passing the peak of the Omicron wave.
With infections peaking later in Germany than in many neighbouring countries, Europe’s biggest economy has kept fairly strict measures, such as a 10-person cap on gatherings, in place, even as other nations put restrictions behind them.
But Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed with Germany’s 16 state premiers on Wednesday that most of these measures could be scrapped in the coming weeks.
"This is a special day in the pandemic," said Mr Scholz, who said the winter measures had succeeded in limiting the death toll from Omicron. "After these long two years, we deserve for things to get better."
In a first step this month, vaccinated people will be freed from limits on gatherings, and shops will be open to all if they wear a mask. A second phase on March 4 would lift an effective ban on unvaccinated people going to restaurants, with a negative virus test granting entry.
And politicians agreed that all “far-reaching protection measures” should be scrapped by March 20, barring a worsening of the situation in hospitals.
They said low-level measures that could remain in place included masks on public transport and testing requirements in certain venues.
Hendrik Wuest, the leader of Germany's largest state of North Rhine-Westphalia, said the country was entering a "new phase of the pandemic" because the health system was not currently in danger of being overrun.
The announcement came as neighbouring Austria and Switzerland announced on Wednesday that they would lift almost all remaining restrictions. That followed moves by England, Denmark and Sweden to scrap the last remaining measures such as compulsory isolation for positive cases.
Austria this month became the first EU country to make vaccines compulsory, but Chancellor Karl Nehammer said the law would be reviewed before penalties are imposed.
The debate over lifting restrictions in Germany has brought out differences within Mr Scholz's ruling coalition, with ministers from the liberal-minded Free Democrats (FDP) making the case for a softer approach.
“Freedoms can only be constrained for as long as necessary,” said FDP leader and Finance Minister Christian Lindner. “Our country now needs the prospect of reopening.”
But Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, a party colleague of Mr Scholz in the Social Democrats (SPD), has been a prominent voice of caution — leading critics to nickname him the “minister of fear”.
He has brushed off this jibe but denied he was moving the goalposts for lifting restrictions, after remarking that deaths were still too high even if hospitals were not in danger of collapse.
About 150 people typically die from coronavirus per day and “I think it’s sad that we’ve almost become accustomed to that”, Mr Lauterbach said last week.
Daily cases in Germany peaked at an average of more than 192,000 on February 10 and the infection rate has fallen every day since then.
The death rate was slow to catch up, falling until late January before climbing again this month — but staying below the levels seen during a wave of Delta variant infections last autumn.
Restrictions were introduced in late December including the 10-person limit on gatherings and limits on large crowds at sporting venues.
Mr Scholz said Germany's measures had achieved what was intended after cases increased more gradually than in other countries.
Politicians are separately debating the possibility of a nationwide vaccine mandate, which is supported by Mr Scholz, but it is not certain it will pass through Parliament.
The chancellor said the vaccine mandate would become necessary next autumn and winter when the coronavirus typically flourishes.
