Reuters reports that German health minister Jens Spahn dampened hopes that further coronavirus restrictions will be lifted soon, saying rising infections could mean that curbs to slow the spread of the virus may have to be re-imposed.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to meet with leaders of Germany’s 16 federal states on Monday to discuss whether to extend a lockdown that has been in place since mid-December.

Earlier this month, the group had laid out plans for a gradual re-opening of the economy, and many shops have since been opened for appointment-only shopping.

But coronavirus infections numbers have been on the rise in recent weeks. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 17,482 to 2,629,750, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Friday. The reported death toll rose by 226 to 74,358.