But he is countered by Health Minister Karl Lauterbach from the social democratic SDP, who claims that an immediate lifting of the restrictions would be reckless. He says that winter is not over and that the healthcare system is burdened by the different virus variants that are circulating.
Germany has abolished a number of restrictions but, unlike many other countries, there are still requirements for face masks on long-distance trains, long-distance buses and hospitals. Many of the country’s 16 federal states also have mask requirements in local public transport.