Germany will consider loosening face mask rules as the country has recorded its lowest Covid-19 infection rate in months.
Health minister Jens Spahn said the first stage would be to lift mask requirements outdoors, where they are compulsory on some busy streets.
Mandatory mask-wearing could be gradually dropped indoors in areas with low infection numbers and high vaccination rates, Mr Spahn said.
“With falling incidence rates, we could proceed in stages.”
Wearing a face mask is currently compulsory on public transport and in shops, schools and indoor public spaces.
But a sharp drop in infection rates in recent weeks has allowed Germany to ease many other restrictions.
The rate fell on Tuesday to 15.5 cases per 100,000 people in a week, the country's lowest figures since October.
Restaurants, bars and non-essential shops are now open after months of closure.
Vaccines lift mood
Germany's vaccination campaign has picked up after a slow start, with nearly half of adults injected at least once.
About 27 per cent of Germans are fully vaccinated, Mr Spahn said.
Justice minister Christine Lambrecht called on German regions to examine whether mask requirements were still "appropriate" to their local situation.
Divi, an association of intensive care doctors, said it had nothing against the proposal.
“Now that we’re in summer we’re spending a lot of time in the open air and infection rates are falling,” Divi president Gernot Marx said.
“And the most important thing is that more and more people have been vaccinated with one or two doses.”
In another sign of progress, Germany will lift its pandemic travel warning for most countries from July 1.
Berlin is also distributing a digital vaccination pass to allow people to show they are immunised.
Germany's neighbour Denmark lifted its rules on mask-wearing on Monday, except on public transport.
Restrictions, however, will remain in place for countries such as Britain, where variants of the virus remain in circulation.
ON%20TRACK
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Semi-final fixtures
Portugal v Chile, 7pm, today
Germany v Mexico, 7pm, tomorrow
Scoreline
Arsenal 0 Manchester City 3
- Agüero 18'
- Kompany 58'
- Silva 65'
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Asia Cup Qualifier
Final
UAE v Hong Kong
TV:
Live on OSN Cricket HD. Coverage starts at 5.30am
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
Visa changes give families fresh hope
Foreign workers can sponsor family members based solely on their income
Male residents employed in the UAE can sponsor immediate family members, such as wife and children, subject to conditions that include a minimum salary of Dh 4,000 or Dh 3,000 plus accommodation.
Attested original marriage certificate, birth certificate of the child, ejari or rental contract, labour contract, salary certificate must be submitted to the government authorised typing centre to complete the sponsorship process
In Abu Dhabi, a woman can sponsor her husband and children if she holds a residence permit stating she is an engineer, teacher, doctor, nurse or any profession related to the medical sector and her monthly salary is at least Dh 10,000 or Dh 8,000 plus accommodation.
In Dubai, if a woman is not employed in the above categories she can get approval to sponsor her family if her monthly salary is more than Dh 10,000 and with a special permission from the Department of Naturalization and Residency Dubai.
To sponsor parents, a worker should earn Dh20,000 or Dh19,000 a month, plus a two-bedroom accommodation
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MATCH INFO
Chelsea 0
Liverpool 2 (Mane 50', 54')
Red card: Andreas Christensen (Chelsea)
Man of the match: Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
