Corona crisis in Germany: The first ghost games in the Bundesliga are now imminent. A minister announces measures for "Anne Will".
- The corona virus is spreading more and more in Germany.
- Virologists recommend drastic measures.
- The Bundesliga, which is threatened with ghost games, is also likely to be affected.
Berlin - cancel Bundesliga matches? In view of the corona crisis in Germany, politicians now think this is possible. Health Minister Jens Spahn recommended that events with more than 1000 visitors be canceled. NRW Minister of Health Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU) said on Sunday evening in the ARD program "Anne Will" that the country would implement Spahn's recommendation - "tomorrow or now, absolutely clear".
"From Bielefeld to Cologne", the NRW Minister of Health wants to ensure that there are no football games with the public. In his opinion, it was also important that not individual clubs were affected by ghost games, but everyone, Laumann emphasized in "Anne Will".
According to Laumann, this applies to the Bundesliga derby Borussia Mönchengladbach against 1. FC Köln on Wednesday (6.30 p.m.). The game was canceled due to a storm storm in February and would now take place as a ghost game based on these plans.
The weekend is the 26th matchday, including the derby between Borussia Dortmund and FC Schalke 04 .
Ghost games over corona virus in NRW - who can enforce?
"If we now say very clearly that we no longer want to allow events (with) more than 1000 people in North Rhine-Westphalia, then this is a recommendation from the State Health Minister to the lower health authorities." But he was sure that there was now a uniform implementation. "In truth, it's like an order."
As in other European countries and worldwide, Sars-CoV-2 is spreading rapidly in Germany. At the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) 902 infections were recorded by Sunday afternoon, although not all evidence from the federal states had already been registered there. Most cases in Germany are recorded in North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria.
The World Medical Association welcomed Spahn's recommendation as "completely correct". "You can't have football games with 35,000 visitors as if nothing had happened," said Frank Ulrich Montgomery, head of the World Medical Association, the editorial network Germany (RND, Monday).
Is VfB Stuttgart a ghost game against Arminia Bielefeld?
It is still unclear whether Arminia Bielefeld will host a ghost game on Monday (March 9, 8:30 p.m.) with the league favorite VfB Stuttgart. The game takes place in Baden-Württemberg. Each federal state must enforce the recommendation itself.
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