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Suburb –
Almost an hour after the announcement, Mayor Henriette Reker appears at City Hall on Friday afternoon. The previous hours were characterized by intense consultations on the situation of the crown. First at the crisis team meeting in Cologne, then in a video conference with Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel, Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn and ten other mayors of large German cities. “They were very good conversations. We want to repeat this videoconference with the Federal Chancellor in ten days to talk about the current situation again, ”says Reker.
Due to the sharp increase in the number of infections, the city has announced new restrictions on public life.
Because the recent sharp increase in the number of infections is forcing the mayor to act as head of the crisis team. The so-called incidence value, which measures new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in a seven-day period, is currently 49.8 on Friday, shortly before the critical value of 50, and makes Cologne a risk zone. “It is important that we see how we can reduce the number of people in certain places, enforce the requirement for masks and further restrict private celebrations,” Reker said. For this reason, the crisis team has decided to tighten the urban protection measures, which will be applied as of this Saturday.
Alkoholverbote
You cannot consume alcohol in public spaces after 10 pm In addition, the city imposes a ban on the sale of alcohol on weekends between Friday at 8 pm and Monday at 6 am However, this only applies to the focal points of the celebration that will be defined with greater precision in the coming days. Gastronomy is excluded from these regulations.
Contact restrictions
Contact restrictions are increased in public spaces, that is, in the streets, squares, parks and green spaces of the city. Based on this, only five people from different households can meet in public instead of the previous ten. This number can be exceeded if people only come from two different households.
Private celebrations
Private celebrations as part of an exceptional occasion, such as weddings, christenings and special birthdays, outside of the apartment (ie in restaurants or other specially rented rooms) should be limited to a maximum of 25 people. In addition, there is still the obligation to register the respective celebration three business days in advance at the public order office, together with a responsible person.
The celebrations of associations that will take place in catering establishments with a corresponding hygiene concept are also affected by this regulation. Reker advises against private celebrations in his own apartment. “Dinner with some friends is possible. But please no parties and lavish celebrations, ”said the OB. “Here ten people seem appropriate as a maximum number.”
Mask requirement
The obligation to cover the mouth and nose will extend to outdoor places where there are many people and the necessary distance of 1.5 meters cannot be maintained; this affects pedestrian areas and large shopping streets, for example. . Previously, the mask requirement only applied in supermarkets and stores, as well as buses, trains, and stops.
Curfew
There will be no curfew in Cologne in the future, says Reker. By doing so, you are transferring a “special responsibility” to restaurateurs and their guests. “We don’t want to punish everyone else just because some people violate the rules,” the mayor said. However, it reserves the right to change this if the number of rule violations increases. “If we have to find out that this is not working and restaurateurs are not living up to their responsibility, a curfew is urgently needed,” Reker said.
retail trade
Now a new rule of the square meter applies in retail: you must ensure that there is only one customer for every ten square meters of sales area in the store.
Events
The number of viewers must be reduced due to the increase in the incidence value. Events can only take place with less than 1000 people this weekend. This limit was established by the Colonia health department.
Culture
Cultural events that are allowed less than 1000 spectators anyway, such as performances in operas, plays, independent theaters or other cultural venues, with a hygiene concept may continue to take place even after the new measures come in. in force. The maximum visitor limits specified by the respective hygiene concept apply.
Another death
Another person died in Cologne in connection with the corona virus. According to the city, it is a 62-year-old man. It is not yet known if he has suffered from previous illnesses. So far, 126 Cologne residents who tested positive for Covid-19 have died. According to the health department, 684 people are currently in an acute state and have been confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus, 78 more than the previous day. On Friday afternoon, the city confirmed the case 5726, of which 4916 people are considered cured.
84 of those infected are currently in quarantine at the hospital, 28 of them in the intensive care unit. The spike in the number of infections can be attributed to the beginning of the fall season, as more and more people are indoors again, the mayor says. “Of course, I can understand that no one wants to sit outside in the rain and cold.” Therefore, attention must now be paid to proper ventilation measures.
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