The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 2,055 to reach 152,438, said the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious disease on Saturday.

It is however only the second day of case numbers going down, following three days of acceleration in new confirmed cases.

Germany’s coronavirus death toll stands at 5,500.

The institute previously said the number of daily Covid-19 infections needs to fall to a few hundred per day before lockdown measures can be lifted.

Germany has been easing its lockdown: Last week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel laid out a list of steps the country would undertake to begin lifting its lockdown, and on Monday stores up to 800 square meters in size began reopening, as long as they have hygiene and social distancing measures in place.

Bookshops, car dealerships and bike stores can also now reopen regardless of their size. Restaurants, bars and gyms will remain closed.

Merkel also announced that the country would increase its contact tracing efforts, deploying a team of five officers for every 20,000 people in the population to trace those who may have come into recent contact with every confirmed case.