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.
France’s health minister, Olivier Veran, on Wednesday raised the possibility of dropping rules on masks and proof of vaccination from mid-March.
“If the trend continues, the wave could be over in about two weeks,” he said on France Info radio. “We could get back to a quasi-normal situation.”
Germany’s outbreak has started to recede in recent days and the improving outlook prompted calls from across the political spectrum for Europe’s largest economy to follow countries like the UK, Ireland and Denmark in easing restrictions.
German officials remain cautious, however, and the pace could be adjusted at the next meeting on March 17. Scholz also said a vaccine mandate is still needed to react to future outbreaks.
In Switzerland, the use of Covid-19 certificates for indoor venues like restaurants and cinemas will end as of Thursday.
Masks will still be required in public transport and health care facilities.
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Austria will cancel almost all restrictions from March 5, though people will still be required to wear masks in some places, Chancellor Karl Nehammer told reporters.
Night clubs will be allowed to reopen, and public events will no longer face capacity constraints.
“The virus is still part of our lives, but as it stands we can responsibly take a political decision to free people from most restrictions,” he said.
