Relaxation of the corona rules: the current status

Lisa Vogel studied departmental journalism with a focus on medicine and biosciences at Ansbach University and deepened her journalistic knowledge in the master's degree in multimedia information and communication. This was followed by a traineeship in the editorial team. Since September 2020 she has been writing as a freelance journalist for

More posts by Lisa Vogel All content is checked by medical journalists.

Almost every day, one or more federal states adopt new easing - after the weeks of restrictions, more and more leisure activities are allowed again. Here is the current status (Thursday) in the countries for some selected areas of life.

Important: As a rule, the loosening takes place under conditions such as distance and hygiene regulations. In addition, the nationwide mask requirement in trade and local transport continues to apply.

Restaurants and bars

Baden-Württemberg: eateries are allowed to reopen, bars must remain closed.

Bavaria: Outdoor areas of restaurants are allowed to open, indoor areas from May 25th. There is still no perspective for bars and restaurants that are geared towards serving drinks.

Berlin: Eating in restaurants is possible. Pure taverns, including bars, must remain closed.

Brandenburg: Restaurants can open, bars remain closed.

Bremen: Visits to restaurants are possible. Bars remain closed. There is a ban on counters.

Hamburg: Restaurants are open, an opening of bars is being examined.

Hessen: Restaurants and bars are open.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Restaurants are open. Bars still have to remain closed.

Lower Saxony: Restaurants are open, bars are still closed.

North Rhine-Westphalia: Restaurants are open. Bars usually have to remain closed, a decision is made on a case-by-case basis.

Rhineland-Palatinate: Restaurants and bars are allowed to open. However, counter areas must remain closed.

Saarland: Restaurant visits are possible. Bars can also open, but catering is only available at tables; it is not permitted to stay at the counter.

Saxony: Restaurants and bars are allowed to open.

Saxony-Anhalt: The restaurants are allowed to reopen from Friday - with special permission from the district since Monday. Bars are allowed to reopen from May 28th.

Schleswig-Holstein: Restaurants and bars can open.

Thuringia: Restaurants and bars can open.

Hotels and apartments

Baden-Wuerttemberg: Holiday apartments can open again, provided that self-sufficiency is possible. Hotels are allowed to open from May 29th.

Bavaria: Hotels and holiday apartments are allowed to reopen from May 30th.

Berlin: Hotels and holiday apartments can open from May 25th.

Brandenburg: Holiday apartments can accommodate guests, hotels from May 25th.

Bremen: Hotels and holiday apartments are allowed to open.

Hamburg: Hotels and holiday apartments are allowed to receive guests.

Hessen: Hotels and holiday apartments can unlock.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Hotels and holiday apartments are open to residents of the state, all others are banned from entering the country until May 25th.

Lower Saxony: Vacation apartments may be operated, hotels should follow from May 25th with a maximum of 60 percent occupancy.

North Rhine-Westphalia: Hotels and holiday apartments can open.

Rhineland-Palatinate: Hotels are allowed to reopen to tourists, holiday apartments can be rented again.

Saarland: Hotels and holiday apartments are allowed to reopen to tourism.

Saxony: Hotels and holiday apartments can open.

Saxony-Anhalt: Holiday apartments can open, hotels should follow on Friday - initially for guests from their own country. From May 28, holidays for tourists from all over Germany should be possible.

Schleswig-Holstein: Visits are possible.

Thuringia: Hotels and holiday apartments are allowed to open.

Outdoor swimming pools and amusement parks

Baden-Württemberg: It is not yet possible to foresee when outdoor swimming pools will be allowed to open. Amusement park fans can look forward to May 29th.

Bavaria: Outdoor swimming pools must remain closed, amusement parks are allowed to open from May 30th.

Berlin: Outdoor swimming pools can open from May 25th. There are no larger amusement parks.

Brandenburg: Open-air swimming pools can open from May 28th, amusement parks are still closed.

Bremen: The first outdoor pools can open from June 1st, from June 15th outdoor pools should generally be opened upon presentation of a hygiene concept. There are no larger amusement parks.

Hamburg: Outdoor swimming pools are still closed, a possible opening soon is being discussed. Hamburg does not have any major theme parks.

Hessen: The time for reopening is still unclear for outdoor pools. Amusement parks can reopen.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Outdoor swimming pools are allowed to reopen from May 25th. Amusement parks are closed.

Lower Saxony: Outdoor pools could reopen from May 25th, the same applies to amusement parks - the state's new Corona regulation, which will be presented on Friday, will provide clarity.

North Rhine-Westphalia: Outdoor pools have been allowed to open since Wednesday, the minimum distance also applies in the swimming pools. Amusement parks are allowed to let visitors in.

Rhineland-Palatinate: Open-air swimming pools should be allowed to open on May 27th, leisure parks on June 10th.

Saarland: It is unclear when outdoor pools and amusement parks will be allowed to reopen.

Saxony: Open-air swimming pools and amusement parks are allowed to open provided they have an approved hygiene concept.

Saxony-Anhalt: Open-air swimming pools and amusement parks are allowed to reopen from May 28th.

Schleswig-Holstein: Outdoor swimming pools and amusement parks will remain closed until further notice.

Thuringia: Open-air swimming pools can open from June 1st, the districts decide on amusement parks on their own.

Contact terms

Baden-Württemberg: It is also permitted to stay outside with members of another household. Meetings with siblings and their families, but also with members of another household, are possible in private rooms.

Bavaria: Several members of two households can meet in both private and public spaces.

Berlin: Several members of two households can meet in both private and public spaces.

Brandenburg: Contacts from two households are allowed - in public as well as in private areas.

Bremen: Several relatives from two households can meet in public space.

Hamburg: Up to ten members of two households can meet again without maintaining a minimum distance of 1.50 meters.

Hessen: Members of two households are again allowed to travel together in public spaces.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Several members of two households can meet in public and private areas.

Lower Saxony: Members of two households are allowed to meet in public.

North Rhine-Westphalia: Members from two families are allowed to meet in public.

Rhineland-Palatinate: Relatives from up to two households can meet in public spaces.

Saarland: Relatives from up to two households can meet inside as well as outside.

Saxony: Two households can meet.

Saxony-Anhalt: Meetings of up to five people are allowed, even if they do not live together in one household. From May 28th on, up to 20 guests can be invited to private celebrations.

Schleswig-Holstein: Several members of two households can meet in both private and public spaces.

Thuringia: The members of two households are allowed to meet outside and inside.

Demonstrations (while maintaining the minimum distance)

Baden-Württemberg: Meetings are allowed - with conditions to ensure protection against infection - for example about intervals or maximum number of participants.

Bavaria: Decisions about demonstrations should be made on a case-by-case basis. Meeting places must offer enough space for the minimum distance.

Berlin: Meetings in closed rooms with up to 50 participants are allowed. From May 25th, up to 100 people can take part in open-air gatherings, up to now there have been 50.

Brandenburg: Meetings with up to 50 people are allowed with a special permit.

Bremen: Meetings must be reported and can be officially prohibited, restricted or made subject to conditions in order to protect against infection.

Hamburg: Larger gatherings are prohibited, exceptions can be approved in the open air.

Hessen: Are allowed under certain conditions. In principle, events for up to 100 people no longer have to be approved if a hygiene and distance concept is in place.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Events with up to 150 participants are allowed outdoors.

Lower Saxony: The authorities can grant exemptions for demonstrations and gatherings in the open air.

North Rhine-Westphalia: Demonstrations are generally allowed - provided the distance rules are observed and a maximum number of participants, calculated on the total area.

Rhineland-Palatinate: Meetings in the open air can be permitted in individual cases subject to conditions.

Saarland: Meetings within the meaning of the Assembly Act in the open air are again permitted under special conditions if the hygiene and distance regulations can be adhered to.

Saxony: rallies are no longer limited to a certain number of participants.

Saxony-Anhalt: Demonstrations are possible if the assembly authority allows them together with the health department. There is no general maximum limit for participants.

Schleswig-Holstein: Meetings are prohibited, but exceptions are possible.

Thuringia: Demonstrations without restrictions on the number of participants are possible.

Schools and daycare centers

Baden-Wuerttemberg: In mid-June, all students should be given face-to-face lessons at least temporarily. Up to now, a maximum of 50 percent of the children who normally attend the facility are allowed to be cared for there at the same time.

Bavaria: Some years are back in schools, only after the Whitsun holidays in mid-June should all students go to school at least on a daily basis. Then the children who will be required to attend school in the school year 2021/22 should also be allowed to go back to kindergartens.

Berlin: By the summer, every daycare child should receive a childcare offer again. By the end of May, all students should go to schools with a reduced number of hours.

Brandenburg: All pupils are allowed to attend school and attend classroom classes at least on a daily or weekly basis before the summer vacation. Restricted regular operations are to start at daycare centers.

Bremen: At primary schools, all classes are gradually being brought back. At the secondary schools, some classes are already back, and more classes will follow on May 25th. From June 1st, all preschool children will come back to daycare centers.

Hamburg: From May 25th, all students should have lessons in the school at least once a week. Daycare centers are gradually going into regular operation.

Hessen: Daycare centers are to gradually switch to restricted normal operation at the beginning of June. Classes in schools have gradually started again.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: The students are already gradually returning to schools. On May 25, daycare centers should be open to all children again.

Lower Saxony: The emergency care in the daycare centers is gradually being expanded, the return to regular operations is planned for August 1st. Schoolchildren are gradually returning, from June 15 onwards all grades will have lessons in schools again.

North Rhine-Westphalia: Kita children and schoolchildren are gradually returning. From the end of May, all pupils are to receive face-to-face tuition on a daily basis, and from June 8th there will be “restricted regular operations” for all daycare children.

Rhineland-Palatinate: Classes have started again in stages, all students should be back to school by mid-June. The daycare centers will be open to everyone by the summer holidays at the latest.

Saarland: In day-care centers and schools there should be "regular operations as possible again" by the summer holidays at the latest.

Saxony: Saxony's daycare centers and primary schools can open to all children in limited regular operations. Secondary school pupils should at least partially be re-educated in schools.

Saxony-Anhalt: From June 2nd, daycare centers and schools are to return to regular operations.

Schleswig-Holstein: School should start again for other years from May 25th. This applies to grades 1 to 3 at elementary schools and grades 8, 9 and 10 at community schools and grammar schools. From June 1 on, the daycare centers will be subject to restricted regular operations.

Thuringia: The municipalities were able to decide for themselves whether they should offer restricted regular operations in the kindergartens. This should start in all daycare centers by June 15 at the latest. In the schools, all pupils should be able to take part in face-to-face classes again after Whitsun at the latest.

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