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The dismal record for the crown in Berchtesgadener Land is followed by the closure: the district administrator announces strong exit restrictions. Those responsible are baffled by the rapid outbreak.
“We have big plans,” District Administrator Bernhard Kern said when he appeared in front of the press Monday night. In his district, Berchtesgadener Land, crown numbers soared over the weekend. Last week, the district had already reacted to the growing number with new measures: “Maybe everything didn’t work out,” says Kern now. Therefore, the “thumbscrews” must be tightened again.
The crisis team had decided shortly before what that meant: strict exit restrictions for two weeks. As of Tuesday lunchtime, you are only allowed to leave the apartment for valid reasons, for example, to go to work, visit the doctor, go shopping and play sports. Schools are closing, events other than religious services are banned, and restaurants, bars and hotels have to close largely. Masks are required in the pedestrian zones of the larger cities. “In the spring we couldn’t imagine things could go this far again,” says Kern.
The district administrator calls it a memorable day for Berchtesgadener Land. It is not easy for him to be the only district to announce such drastic measures. But also the president of the Upper Bavaria district, Maria Els, says: “We have to realize that the measures are drastic, but also necessary.”
How could it come to this?
In early October, there were almost no new infections in Berchtesgadener Land; now the number has skyrocketed: 118 infections were reported over the weekend. With a seven-day incidence of more than 252 new infections per 100,000 residents on Monday morning, Berchtesgadener Land is suddenly at the forefront of the infection rate in Germany.
It is still not entirely clear how the wave of infection came about. In the morning, Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder said that the “starting point” was “another party.” Last week, the district office reported a party that had caused a massive increase in the number of new infections.
But that’s not all this time, suggests Söder in the morning as well. And the district president, Maria Els, confirmed it overnight: the infections could no longer be traced to individual locations, but were diffuse and affected the entire district. That further complicates the situation.
It is clear that the situation has worsened for a few days. During the weekend of October 10 and 11, the number of new infections had increased dramatically, according to the district office, the incidence value on Monday, October 12, was already 57.6 infected per 100,000 inhabitants. In the press release, the office writes that there would have been infections at a party. That happened in the northern part of the district. There are new infections throughout the district, but there is a focus.
The district administrator sent an expedited appeal last week
On Sunday October 11, District Administrator Bernhard Kern sent out an urgent appeal: “Avoid critical situations now on Sunday and adhere to hygiene regulations and distance rules.” Just two days later, the district office put a blanket order into effect: Only 25 people can attend private celebrations, there is a curfew, and a maximum of five people can sit at the table together in bars.
But the appeal and the new rules appear to be too late or insufficient to prevent the current outbreak. Those that now appear in the statistics as newly infected are likely to have already been.
Police keep breaking up the party at a shisha bar on Saturday
Now the neighbors face the consequences. The Watzmann-Therme in Berchtesgaden announces that it will be temporarily closed. The city of Bad Reichenhall is establishing emergency care for school children.
With a bit of bad luck, the numbers could rise even further: on Saturday, police searched a shisha bar in the city of Freilassing and discovered major violations. Instead of the 80 allowed, officials meet with more than 100 people, almost none of whom adhere to hygiene standards. Not even the names of the guests are put on a list. The number of new infections will show in about a week if someone is infected here too.
