VIENNA (AP) — The Austrian government said Wednesday that it plans to end most of the country's COVID-19 restrictions on March 5, though wearing masks will remain obligatory in some places.

Chancellor Karl Nehammer announced the decision at a news conference in Vienna. Officials stressed that the pandemic is not yet over but a stabilization of new infections allows Austria, which recently became the first European country to enshrine obligatory vaccinations for most adults in law, to open up step by step.

In a first step starting Saturday, proof of vaccination or recent recovery will no longer be required to attend events, go to restaurants, bars or hairdressers and various other activities. Proof of a negative test will suffice for those things.

“On March 5, the bulk of the restrictions that burden people so much will end,” Nehammer said.

The entry requirements and most other restrictions will be dropped altogether, with night clubs reopening and a midnight curb on opening hours for restaurants and bars ending.

Nehammer said that a requirement to wear protective FFP2 masks will remain in place “where it is absolutely necessary to protect vulnerable groups,” including in public transport, essential shops and pharmacies. Proof of at least a negative test will continue to be required for staff and visitors at hospitals and nursing homes.

Requirements to enter Austria will be relaxed. At present, travelers need to provide proof of vaccination or recent recovery plus either a booster shot or a negative test. From March 5, evidence of vaccination or recovery, or a negative test, will suffice.

Austria will join countries including Denmark that have relaxed many or all restrictions.

Health Minister Wolfgang Mueckstein stressed that the longer-term outlook remains unclear.

“I can't promise that we won't need stricter measures in the coming months — the virus has taught us that often,” he said.

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BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Slovakia is planning to gradually ease most coronavirus restrictions as hospitals appear to be coping despite a current record surge of infections caused by the highly transmittable omicron variant.

Prime Minister Eduard Heger said on Wednesday that people will have access to stores, shopping malls, various public gatherings and services, including bars and restaurants, without any restrictions. They won’t have to present any certificate that they have been vaccinated, recovered from COVID-19 or tested negative for the coronavirus.

Those restrictive measures should be lifted by the end of February.

As the next step, the government also plans to ease the limits on the number of people attending various public events and gatherings and most other remaining restrictions a month later, Heger said.

The government has still to announce the details of the plan.

Heger made the announcement as daily new infections in his country remain at record high levels around 20,000 cases, a level largely unchanged since the beginning of February. On Tuesday, Slovakia registered 19,955 new cases for a total of almost 1.3 million in the nation of 5.5 million.

“We have to learn how to live with COVID,” Heger said. “We have an efficient tool to protect ourselves, and that’s the vaccine.”

Only over 2.5 million Slovaks, or 50.3% of the population, have been fully vaccinated, well below the European Union average of 71%.

Despite the relatively low vaccination rate, hospitals are treating fewer patients for COVID-19 than during the earlier wave fueled by the delta variant.

Slovakia has registered 18,145 deaths linked to COVID-19.

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GENEVA (AP) — Switzerland on Wednesday became the latest European country to ease coronavirus restrictions, including ending health checks for incoming travelers and the need to have COVID-19 passes to enter many public venues.

The Federal Council, the seven-member Swiss executive branch, said as of Thursday, masks and COVID-19 vaccination passes will no longer be required to enter shops, restaurants, cultural venues and other public settings and events. The requirement to wear masks in workplaces and a work-from-home recommendation will also end, as will capacity limits on large-scale gatherings.

The only requirements that will remain are an order for any person who tests positive to isolate and mandatory mask-wearing on public transportation and in health care institutions.

“The epidemiological situation continues to develop positively,” the government said. “Thanks to the high level of immunity among the population, it is unlikely that the health care system will be overburdened despite the continued high level of virus circulation.”

Health authorities in the country of about 8.5 million people reported more than 21,000 new daily COVID-19 casesand 10 new deaths. The trend has steadily fallen since a 7-day average of more than 36,000 cases a day was tallied in late January.

Incoming travelers will no longer be required to provide proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative test, or complete an entry form.

The measures also will mean an end to the government's economic support for business hit hard by the pandemic.

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BERLIN (AP) — Germany's leaders on Wednesday announced plans to end most of the country's coronavirus restrictions by March 20, a decision that coincided with moves by neighboring Austria and Switzerland to drop many of their curbs sooner.

A three-step plan was endorsed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the country's 16 state governors as official figures show Germany's COVID-19 infection rate beginning to drift downward.

“The peak has now probably been reached,” Scholz said, adding that “a constantly improved situation” can be expected in the coming weeks.

The easing is to start with scrapping rules that prevented people without proof of vaccination or recovery from visiting nonessential stores and the lifting of limits on private gatherings of vaccinated people.

Beginning on March 4, requirements to enter restaurants and bars will be relaxed, with a negative test sufficing rather than, as in many areas at present, proof of vaccination or recovery plus a test or a booster shot. Nightclubs will be allowed to reopen, albeit with entry restrictions.

And “all far-reaching protective measures" are to be dropped on March 20 “if the situation in hospitals allows,” according to Wednesday's decision. An obligation to allow people to work from home will be dropped as well. But Scholz said that mask-wearing and distancing requirements will remain in place.

Germany saw infections caused by the highly contagious omicron variant surge later than in several other European countries. Officials have attributed this to the restrictions that have been in place since December.

But other countries, including neighboring Denmark, also have moved faster to lift restrictions, and there have been growing calls for Germany to follow suit. Earlier Wednesday, Austria announced that it will drop most of its restrictions on March 5 and Switzerland said most of its curbs will go this week.