Despite strong pressure from society to end strict corona measures, Chancellor Angela Merkel and the government leaders of the sixteen German states extended the lockdown until March 28. Nevertheless, there are some bright spots. Contact restrictions are somewhat relaxed because indoor gatherings with people from another household are again allowed up to a maximum of 5 people. It had already been decided that the hairdressers, just like in the Netherlands, can get back to work and that the schools in Germany will be reopened. The plan of Merkel and the state prime ministers does contain an emergency brake on the easing if the number of infections rises again above 100 per 100.000.
Germans will be able to get a weekly free rapid corona test starting next week and the sale of kits to test at home will be allowed. Access from France to Germany is severely restricted, which means that cross-border holidays are not yet possible around Easter.
