German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief of staff says restrictions for unvaccinated people may be necessary if Covid-19 case numbers reach new heights in the coming months, AP reports.

But Helge Braun said in an interview with the newspaper Bild am Sonntag that he doesn’t expect another coronavirus-related lockdown in Germany.

Braun said that unvaccinated people may be barred from entering venues like restaurants, movie theaters and stadiums “because the residual risk is too high”, adding that such policies would be legal because “the state has the responsibility to protect the health of its citizens.”

He said getting vaccinated is important to protect against severe disease and because “vaccinated people will definitely have more freedoms than unvaccinated people.”