The southwestern German state of Saarland will begin to relax lockdown restrictions after the Easter holidays. Cinemas, gyms and outdoor dining areas at restaurants will reopen from April 6 onwards to customers who are able to provide a negative rapid coronavirus test. 

Lockdown to be eased from April 6 in Saarland

Lockdown will end in Saarland after Easter. From April 6, restrictions will be eased for gastronomy, sports and cultural activities, provided that the seven-day incidence rate per 100.000 inhabitants is stable below 100. Contact restrictions will also be relaxed, so that up to 10 people from an unlimited number of households will be allowed to meet up. 

To be able to visit newly-reopened facilities, everyone will have to present a negative rapid test, which can be obtained for free from one of the state’s approximately 350 testing centres, doctors and pharmacies that currently offer rapid testing. Once completed, the test would be recognised as valid for 24 hours. 

Vaccination rate in Saarland is highest in Germany

At 56, the federal state currently has one of the lowest and most stable seven-day incidence rates in the whole country. Moreover, Saarland currently has the highest vaccination rate nationwide, with every ninth person having received at least one dose of a vaccine against COVID-19. 

At the coronavirus summit on Monday, the federal and state governments agreed that some states and regions would be allowed to open individual areas of public life, so long as “strict protective measures and a test concept” are put in place. The idea is to figure out a workable model for easing restrictions across the rest of the country as well. 

State premier Tobias Hans has declared that Saarland’s low infection rate, coupled with its relatively high vaccination rate, means the state is well-placed to become a kind of “testing ground” for reopening strategies.