After two years of covid rules, Germans are no longer required by law to wear face masks in shops

From now on, in all states that do not decide to take a different path, it will be up to individual shop owners to decide whether those in their stores are required to wear masks or not.

The requirement was officially dropped in Berlin on Friday and most states followed Sunday. Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania have used the federal government’s “hotspot” loophole — requiring measures be in place if infection rates are especially high — to leave mask mandates in place.

Large retailers such as supermarkets REWE, Lidl, Aldi and Edeka; Swedish furniture giant Ikea; bookseller Thalia; and fast-fashion chains H&M and Primark have all said they will not require customers to wear masks in stores.

Still, some employers have raised concern about the changes, as have employees. Trade union Verdi, for instance, lamented the position the rule change puts workers in,