“We must not forget one thing for sure: this pandemic is not over,” said the head of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) infectious disease control body, Lothar Wiele, one of the most visible officials in Germany’s anti-coronavirus strategy.

The message of restraint was reinforced by Health Minister Jens Spahn, who said that confidence should not turn into arrogance, and that social contact restrictions were still vital in controlling the spread of Covid-19.

The two officials did underline the good news however, including that rates of infection were coming down in all age groups in all of Germany’s 16 federal states.

As Spahn put it, “everything is going in the right direction.”

The incidence rate of infection – a key measure in Germany when it comes to the imposition of lockdown measures – is sinking closer to the crucial mark of 100 infections per 100,000 people during the last seven days.

On Wednesday the infection rate was at 107.8, compared to 132.8 a week ago. There are still wide regional variations.

The vaccine drive, meanwhile, is opening up to new parts of the population, with the state of Bavaria announcing that local doctors could administer any vaccines to their patients without having to prioritize any particular age group.

Open-air swimming pools in the state could reopen from May 21, state premier Markus Soeder said, as long as swimmers have a negative coronavirus test and book a slot.