Smaller and medium-sized shops with a floor area of less than 800 metres squared will reopen on Monday, though the country’s 16 states have opted to open up to varying degrees and at different times.

Car dealerships, bicycle dealers and bookstores of all sizes will also be allowed to reopen, as well as zoos in some states.

Schools will open their doors to older pupils sitting and preparing for exams in Saxony, Berlin and Brandenburg. Other states were set to open schools later this week, with some waiting until early May.

Meanwhile, a debate dragged on about childcare for younger children, with a working group due to begin meeting from Monday to discuss a gradual reopening of nurseries across the country.

Economics Minister Peter Altmaier called for more unity among the states. “We can’t run around like a bunch of chickens outdoing each other by tightening and loosening [restrictions]” he told the Sunday edition of the mass circulation Bild newspaper.

“If we keep our nerve now, we can avoid a second lockdown,” said Altmaier. “This is why joint action by the federal and state governments is so important.”

In Saxony, where a ban on religious services was set to be lifted earlier than elsewhere, residents will from Monday be required by law to wear a face covering in shops and on public transport.

The cities of Wolfsburg and Jena have also made masks obligatory, although Germany’s federal government has so far stopped short of making masks a nationwide requirement.