COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
The COVID-19 pandemic in Germany is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). On 27 January 2020, the first case in Germany was confirmed near Munich, Bavaria. By mid February, the arising cluster of cases had been fully contained. On 25 and 26 February, multiple cases related to the Italian outbreak were detected in Baden-Württemberg. A large cluster linked to a carnival event was formed in Heinsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia; on 9 March 2020, the first two deaths in Germany were reported from Essen and Heinsberg. New clusters were introduced in other regions via Heinsberg as well as via people arriving from China, Iran and Italy, from where non-Germans could arrive by plane until 17–18 March. From 13 March, German states mandated school and kindergarten closures, postponed academic semesters and prohibited visits to nursing homes to protect the elderly. Two days later, borders to Austria, Denmark, France, Luxembourg and Switzerland were closed.
By 22 March, curfews were imposed in six German states while other states prohibited physical contact with more than one person from outside one's household.

On 15 April, Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke of "fragile intermediate success" that had been achieved in the fight against the pandemic. The same day, a first loosening of restrictions was announced, continued in early May, and eventually, holiday travels were allowed in cooperation with other European countries. A number of state premiers pressed for faster relaxation of restrictions, putting them at odds with Merkel, who favoured a more cautious approach. Substantial local outbreaks in meat processing plants drew public attention beyond the epidemiological context to poor working conditions. By late August, infection numbers had returned to the levels of April, and a possible second wave of the pandemic was under debate. By mid October, it was believed by experts to be inevitable. A partial lockdown from 2 November, in which physical distancing rules were tightened while schools and kindergartens remained open, only temporarily halted the rise in case numbers; the total number of reported infections since the start of the pandemic crossed one million on 27 November. A hard lockdown was imposed on 15 December and extended several times, introducing movement restrictions for hard-hit districts, and later making FFP2 masks or other clinical masks mandatory on public transport and in shops. These extensions were mainly motivated by uncertainties associated with the appearance of the Alpha variant and other mutations. Death rates in nursing homes remained high until late January but dropped strongly in February, which was considered to be likely the result of residents and workers at these facilities having been prioritised in the vaccination campaign. On 10 February, the lockdown was extended until 7 March, and a gradual reopening of schools and daycare centres was agreed. A five-step plan was agreed on 3 March to end the second lockdown, from 1 March to 5 April 2021. On 24 March, the partial lockdown was extended until at least 18 April 2021. With the arrival of the third pandemic wave driven by variants, and an initially slow progress of vaccinations, a reform of the Infection Protection Act in late April increased federal government powers, allowing it to mandate pandemic measures in hard-hit districts from 24 April. Vaccinations accelerated in April, with a total of 15 million shots given that month, surpassing the total of the period from January to March. On 6 May, the AstraZeneca vaccine was made available to all adults. Health Minister Jens Spahn said on 7 May that the third wave of the pandemic appeared to be broken, but cautioned against a hasty retraction of restrictions.

Vaccinations with the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine began on 27 December 2020 (unofficially one day earlier); vaccinations with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, the AstraZeneca vaccine and the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine began in mid January, early February, and mid March 2021 respectively. On 16 March 2021, AstraZeneca vaccinations were stalled nationwide because of uncertain side effects and uncertain deaths of several people in the days after receiving it. Vaccinations with AstraZeneca resumed on 19 March after the European Medicines Agency deemed the vaccine "safe and effective"; On 30 March, German vaccination commission STIKO recommended limiting the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine to those aged 60 or over, but revised this on 22 April to allow for use in younger ages, subject to their consent to medical advice about the risks. After a slow start, vaccinations accelerated in April, with a total of 15 million shots given that month, surpassing the total of the period from January to March. On 6 May, the AstraZeneca vaccine was made available to all adults, with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine following on 10 May. , the RKI reported that 54.5 per cent of the total population have received at least their first vaccination dose (which for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and for those recovered is sufficient), and 36.5 per cent had completed their vaccination.

, the RKI has officially reported 3,728,141 cases, 90,875 deaths, and approximately 3,624,200 recoveries. The country's low fatality rate in the first and the onset of the second wave of the pandemic, compared to fatality rates in Italy and Spain, has generated a discussion and explanations that cite the country's higher number of tests performed, higher number of available intensive care beds with respiratory support and higher proportion of positive cases among younger people. The serious worsening of infection and death numbers in November and December 2020, which largely failed to raise a sense of alarm in the public, and frequent breaches of physical distancing rules led to a perception that Germany's status as a worldwide role model in fighting the pandemic had diminished. The September 2021 federal and numerous state elections were suggested as an additional hindrance in combating the second wave earlier and more decisively.</onlyinclude> The decision by the German parliament on 6 May 2021 to lift most pandemic restrictions for the fully vaccinated and previously infected, which effectively created a two-tier system, met with criticism by some of those who still had to wait for their vaccination shot under the regulations, such as teenagers.
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COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
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