Europe heads towards new normal as final coronavirus curbs unwind
- Germany will roll back rules in three stages, while Switzerland is scrapping almost all pandemic restrictions from Thursday
- The shift is being helped by relatively high vaccination rates and milder symptoms caused by the Omicron variant
Europe looks to be gradually leaving the pandemic behind, with Germany becoming the latest in the region to unwind restrictions that have disrupted life for two years.
Most of Germany’s Covid-19 curbs will be rolled back in three stages by March 20, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced Wednesday. The first step involves the immediate end of vaccination controls at non-essential stores.
“The corona rules are having the desired effect,” Scholz said on Twitter. “We can now withdraw the restrictions step by step, but we should continue to be careful.”
Neighbouring Switzerland will scrap almost all pandemic-related restrictions starting from Thursday, including a work-from-home recommendation and the need for Covid-19 documentation to enter the country.
Austria announced similar steps on Wednesday, and the Netherlands will lift controls on people and businesses beginning on Friday.
Once the global epicentre of the crisis, Europe is looking to return to something close to normal. The shift is being helped by relatively high vaccination rates and milder symptoms caused by the Omicron variant, even if infection rates remain near peak levels in some countries.