Rather than being a long-awaited “Freedom Day”, it now seems that March 20 in Germany is going to be a damp squib, as the federal states put off lifting most major COVID restrictions for another couple of weeks. Which begs the question: what exactly - if anything - is changing with Germany’s coronavirus measures this week? 

Federal states push back at government’s plan to lift restrictions

Back in February, the federal government and the federal states agreed that March 20 would see the end of most far-reaching coronavirus restrictions in Germany, prompting comparisons to the “Freedom Day” that was celebrated in the UK last summer. The March 20 date was chosen because the legal basis for many of Germany’s coronavirus restrictions expires on March 19.

However, coronavirus cases in Germany have been reaching new heights in recent days. On Thursday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz faced a backlash from the federal states as they discussed the move to drop all restrictions, leaving only a “hotspot regulation” to bring in tougher rules in areas with high caseloads. 

The states premiers shared their concern about rising case numbers, telling Scholz they felt their worries were being ignored and that the planned law change would leave them virtually powerless to combat the pandemic. Scholz countered this by stating that the situation in hospitals continued to be relatively relaxed, thanks to the Omicron variant causing less severe courses of the disease. 

Still concerned, however, one after another state governments have been announcing their intention to make use of a transition period clause included in the government’s amended Infection Protection Act, to keep coronavirus measures in place up until April 2. 

What’s changing in Germany on March 20?

So what’s changing on March 20? The answer at the moment is: not a lot. Some states have opted to extend the current measures until March 31, and others until April 2. Since so much is in flux, it’s best to check the requirements in your local area, but in principle the following rules will apply for the next couple of weeks: 

• 3G rules on public transport
• 3G rules in restaurants, cinemas, theatres, gyms, leisure and cultural facilities
• 2G plus rules in nightclubs
• Mask requirements and minimum distance rules in retail

After March 20, companies will no longer be obliged to allow their employees to work from home, but they will need to have basic protective measures in place, which could include 3G rules, mask requirements or regular testing. According to the new law, companies should assess the risk posed by the virus themselves from Monday onwards.