Berlin, 16 February 2022 (dpa/MIA) - German state and federal leaders have agreed on a plan to lift most Covid-19 restrictions, with the final steps to be taken from March 20, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday. "We can look into the future with more optimism than we could in the last few weeks," he said. After ramping up restrictions during an unprecedented wave of infections caused by the Delta and then the Omicron variant, Germany is set to follow several other European countries in making a gradual return to normality. The three-point plan agreed on Wednesday envisages a stage-by-stage lifting of restrictions for private gatherings, retail outlets and restaurants and hotels. From March 20, all of the "more far-reaching protective measures" are to be dropped.