Trier, Germany (dpa) – One of Germany’s federal states, Saarland, announced on Thursday it would take its own path out of the coronavirus lockdown after Easter, and start reopening public life.

Tobias Hans, the premier of the small western German state that borders France and Luxembourg, said on Thursday that from April 6, cinemas, gyms and restaurants with outdoor spaces would be allowed to reopen.

“From April 6, a greater degree of private and more public life will be possible again,” said Hans from the conservative Christian Democrats, the same party as Chancellor Angela Merkel.

He added that a prerequisite for entering these spaces would be a negative result from a rapid coronavirus test from the same day.

The news comes a day after Merkel herself announced a major U-turn on a decision to tighten an existing lockdown over the April 1 to 5 Easter period, arguing that the plan had not been viable from a legal or logistical standpoint.

Germany has a federal system whereby its 16 states decide on and implement public health measures.

As part of his lockdown exit plans, Hans said there could be further reopenings from April 18 in the areas of gastronomy and education.

Up to 10 people will be able to attend private outdoor meetings from April 6 if they are able to show a negative result on a rapid antigen test from the same day.

Hans said that the reason for the decision was that Saarland had one of the lowest rates of infection of any German state. The seven-day incidence rate per 100,000 inhabitants is currently hovering around 70 – the national equivalent reached 113.3 on Thursday.

The state of roughly 1 million people has 41 test centres, and more than 300 doctors and pharmacies offer free rapid antigen tests. Saarland ordered 2.5 million rapid tests early on in the pandemic. So far, around 150,000 people have received at least one vaccine dose.