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| - German Chancellor Angela Merkel wants to allow more socialising between households from next week as part of plans to gradually loosen virus curbs in the Covid-weary nation, a draft text showed Tuesday. Private get-togethers between two households, not exceeding five adults, will be allowed again "from March 8", according to the document seen by AFP. Under the current rules, one household may only socialise with one other person. The text also proposes that flower shops, book stores and garden centres be next in line to reopen, after hairdressers were already allowed to open their doors earlier this week. However, most other shops, restaurants, as well as leisure, cultural and sporting facilities should remain shut until March 28, according to the draft. The text has yet to be agreed by Germany's 16 regional premiers, who are due to hold talks with Merkel on Wednesday. It comes as Merkel faces growing calls to ease Germany's partial lockdown, with surveys suggesting citizens are losing their patience and businesses are struggling to stay afloat after months of shutdowns. But a gradual relaxation of curbs is warranted, it says, because of the upcoming ramp-up in vaccine deliveries and the arrival of mass rapid antigen tests. "These two factors will clearly change the pandemic situation," it reads. For the weeks ahead, Germany's strategy will be based around "vaccinations, testing, contact tracing and reopenings", it adds. From April, pupils and teachers back in school should be get at least one free test a week. The text however stresses that the relaxation of curbs must happen gradually and can be reversed should infection rates spike again. Germany closed bars, restaurants, gyms and cultural centres in November, before adding non-essential shops and schools in December as the country was badly hit by a second Covid-19 wave. The measures helped bring down infection rates, allowing schools to partially reopen late last month. But the daily number of new coronavirus cases has plateaued in recent weeks and even risen slightly on some days, prompting critics to warn against hasty reopenings. Merkel's draft document explicitly warns of the risks posed by new, more contagious virus variants such as the strain that first emerged in Britain and now accounts for a large share of new infections in Germany. "The experiences of other countries show us how dangerous the different Covid-19 variants are. They make it clear that we have to be careful when restarting public life," the text says. Merkel and the regional leaders agreed last month to hold back on reopenings until the seven-day incidence rate fell below 35 new cases per 100,000 residents. On Tuesday, that figure stood at 65.4 nationwide. bur-mfp/hmn/lc
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