Beer gardens, restaurant terraces reopen in Germany

Beer gardens, cafes and restaurants in Berlin and elsewhere in Germany reopened on Friday to serve customers outdoors for the first time in months, provided they present a negative COVID-19 test or a vaccination certificate.

In the German capital, restaurant owners and guests welcomed the reopening and enjoyed a beer without rain and occasional sunshine ahead of the Pentecost weekend.

Communications manager of Berlin's "Café am Neuen See" Saskia Frank expressed her happiness at the the reopening.

"I don't think we could have held out much longer financially. Something just had to happen now," she added.

State authorities have pushed vigorously to reopen hospitality and tourism for the three-day weekend, despite misgivings from federal officials.

Most of Germany's 400 cities and counties had a weekly case number below the threshold of 100 per 100,000 inhabitants that triggered strict lockdown measures.

The country's disease control agency reported 8,769 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases Thursday and 226 deaths.

The country has recorded more than 3.6 million cases since the start of the outbreak, and 87,128 deaths.

Germany's health minister Jens Spahn urged citizens on Friday to remain cautious as large parts of the country prepared to relax pandemic restrictions.

About 40% of the population in Germany has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine so far.

About one in eight people, more than 10 million people, have received both doses, according to official figures.