German authorities urge caution ahead of curbs easing

"The third wave appears to have broken," Health Minister Jens Spahn said, while noting that infection numbers remained high.

The downward trend had to be maintained, he said, "but that will not happen with overhasty lifting of restrictions", dpa news agency reported.

More than 31 per cent of the population had received the first shot of vaccine, the official disease control body the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) said on Friday, with 8.8 per cent now being fully vaccinated.

RKI President Lothar Wieler called for patience and cautious steps towards reopening. 

The vaccinations led to hope that Germany "will soon be able to control the pandemic", he said.

"The pandemic is much like a balloon filled with air that we are keeping under water together," Wieler said. 

This was a joint effort, and if all restrictions were lifted suddenly, the virus would spread rapidly again, he predicted.

Nevertheless, Germans were looking forward to a weekend without restrictions after the relevant legislation passed the upper house of parliament earlier on Friday.

There were hopes that the law could be signed by the President and published in the government gazette by the end of the day. 

It was approved by the lower house on Thursday.

The new measures will allow these people to meet in unlimited numbers, and they will not be counted in the total when meeting others who have not been vaccinated.

Restrictions on being out after 10 p.m., the night-time curfew has been among the most resented restrictions, will also fall away for the two groups.

Nevertheless, masks and social distancing will continue to be imposed and in particular situations and buildings.

The provisions do not apply to people infected with mutations of the virus that are not widespread in Germany.