It came into force in Germany today government decree according to which those vaccinated against coronavirus are allowed some relief from pandemic measures.

According to the decree, which was approved by the Bundestag after the lower house of the German Parliament yesterday, the people who were fully vaccinated, as well as the people who contracted the coronavirus, are exempted from the obligation to strictly restrict personal contact, ban on movement at night , as well as the obligation to submit a negative test.

Vaccinated will also be exempted from the mandatory quarantine after returning from abroad. The exceptions are the returnees from the so-called areas where there are other strains of the virus, such as India, Brazil or South Africa.

People who have received two doses of the vaccine and have passed two weeks after receiving the second dose are considered fully vaccinated. 

Earlier, North Rhine-Westphalia Prime Minister Armin Lachette called for unity in society and warned of possible divisions between those vaccinated and those who have not yet been vaccinated.

He told the vaccinated that those who have not yet been vaccinated should be treated "with respect and without triumph".

As of Friday, 7,6 million citizens (9,1 percent) in Germany had received both doses of the vaccine, mostly elderly citizens in priority groups.