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It rarely happens that German mayors give angry speeches on Instagram. But Thomas Hunsteger-Petermann (CDU), mayor of the city of Hamm for more than 20 years, could no longer help himself: In a four-minute video, he addressed the residents of his city in clear words on Monday.
He was “extremely upset” by the situation, Hunsteger-Petermann says in the video. The problem: Corona infections have skyrocketed in the North Rhine-Westphalia city since the beginning of the week. Now, as one of the first politicians in Germany, Hunsteger-Petermann has to decide how to react correctly when the second wave arrives. The case also shows what a threat to communities across Germany if the number of infected people continues to rise.
SPIEGEL: Mr Hunsteger-Petermann, you are clearly very angry. Why?
Hunsteger-Petermann: Last week we had the situation of the crown under control in our city, there were 19 infected for every 180,000 inhabitants. Meanwhile, our RKI factor has risen to 79.8, which is well above the limit of 50. We have 151 infected people and it could be significantly more if we have verified all the suspected cases. And all for a family celebration. Of course I am angry.
SPIEGEL: Is only a family celebration to blame for the dizzying number of cases?
Hunsteger-Petermann: We can attribute almost all infections to it. The worst thing is that this celebration took place three weeks ago. That makes tracking incredibly difficult. We are currently trying to understand all the chains of infection. However, there are now second-generation infections.
SPIEGEL: What kind of celebration was that?
Hunsteger-Petermann: A large-scale wedding. It’s pretty obvious what went wrong: the starting point was probably a bachelorette party, where people were dancing very closely and also shedding tears. Then there was the celebration of the royal wedding with several hundred guests, in which the rules of distance and hygiene were not followed either. This has made possible a large number of corona transmissions.
SPIEGEL: Experts are currently warning of a second wave. In Spain, for example, the numbers are already increasing rapidly. What are the specific consequences of the infection process in your city?
Hunsteger-Petermann: Schools are a good example. So far, we have only had to quarantine 650 teachers and students. Originally, four children were infected. Also, everyone in schools should wear masks again.
SPIEGEL: What other steps have you taken to contain the infection rate?
Hunsteger-Petermann: There are a number of restrictions, in some areas we are back at the same level as at the beginning of the pandemic. From now on, private celebrations of 25 people must register, from 50 guests a permit is required. There must also be a hygiene concept and someone responsible on site. Only groups of up to five people are allowed in public spaces, the “Gourmet Festival” and Sunday shopping have already been canceled.
SPIEGEL: That sounds like massive interventions in the daily lives of citizens.
Hunsteger-Petermann: We are doing everything possible to avoid a general lockdown. It is a balancing act: on the one hand, the measures must be effective, on the other hand, life must pass as normally as possible. Furthermore, the population must be able to understand why we are taking what measures. Because a handful of celebrants have put aside all decency, distance and also their masks, 180,000 people now suffer from it. They acted as if Corona didn’t exist. That should not be.
SPIEGEL: How does the increase change your personal daily life?
Hunsteger-Petermann: Actually, I’m on the election campaign right now, but now it’s canceled. I canceled all appointments for this week. I feel challenged as a crisis manager from morning to night. That is a great psychological and physical burden, you can reach your limits.
SPIEGEL: How has Hamm weathered the crown crisis so far?
Hunsteger-Petermann: We had two major outbreaks, one at the beginning of the pandemic, but we were quickly able to control the situation. Another increase in the number came from the incidents at the Tönnies slaughterhouse, but at the time we stayed below the limit. More recently, we had single digit infection numbers; I was really satisfied. Citizen responsibility had paid off.
SPIEGEL: What would you recommend to other cities and towns?
Hunsteger-Petermann: I would advise everyone to exercise more control over large private parties. Everything else worked fine for us, but at private parties we didn’t even know where they were taking place. These controls do not refer to the silver wedding anniversary, which is celebrated on a small scale. But almost degenerate, big wedding or birthday celebrations. These events are simply not up to date at this time.
