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Berchtesgaden: Exploding numbers of infections
Photo: LEONHARD FOEGER / REUTERS
No longer Neukölln, but the Berchtesgadener Land: On Monday it became known that, according to the Robert Koch Institute, nowhere else have so many new infections been registered in the past seven days as in the Bavarian district - not even in the Berlin district, which has one of the youngest Corona -Hotspots is.
In the meantime, the so-called 7-day incidence has fallen slightly from 252.06 to 236.01, according to the district office in Berchtesgadener Land.
These values relate to the reporting status at ten o'clock.
The Bavarian Minister of Agriculture Michaela Kaniber had given an even higher value of 272.8 later on Monday.
It should include late registrations that were missing in the morning value.
But the numbers are still worryingly high.
The district office reported another 40 confirmed infections since Monday.
In total, there are 260 infected people in the district, nine of them are in hospital.
698 direct contacts are in quarantine at home.
At 2 p.m. on this Tuesday, strict exit restrictions came into force in the district, including leaving the apartment for 14 days only "if there are valid reasons" - including going to work, shopping, or moving around the fresh air - allowed.
Bernhard Kern (CSU) has been the district administrator since May 2020.
His calendar is full of appointments this Tuesday - SPIEGEL reached him by phone shortly before the press conference in the afternoon.
He talks about how people deal with the renewed strict measures and explains why he has a problem with the term "lockdown".
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District Administrator Bernhard Kern
Photo: Peter Kneffel / dpa
SPIEGEL:
Since May, Berchtesgadener Land has been the first district in Germany to have again imposed strict exit restrictions due to the pandemic, closes schools and restaurants and completely bans events except for church services.
How do people deal with it?
Kern:
Overall with a lot of understanding.
Every now and then, of course, I get information that there is occasional dissatisfaction.
But their health is very important to most people.
We are currently the district with the highest incidence nationwide, which is why it is particularly important to me as the district administrator that the number of infections in us goes down again quickly.
SPIEGEL:
Can you explain why your numbers have exploded so?
Kern:
At the moment we can't explain it to ourselves.
There are so-called diffuse findings in the entire district, in all cities, markets and communities.
We had a small hotspot some time ago through a private celebration, but this celebration is certainly not the only trigger for the high number of cases we have now.
SPIEGEL:
Markus Söder compared the measures with a lockdown.
You don't want to use the term, however.
Isn't that just a quibble?
Kern:
For me it isn't, and that's why I don't use the word in my mouth.
We have defined the measures in such a way that they will hopefully still be acceptable to all citizens of the Berchtesgadener Land district.
You are of course drastic, that is clear.
For example, we found it very difficult to answer the question of whether we would really close all schools.
SPIEGEL:
What else would have to be added for it to be a lockdown in your eyes?
Kern:
It should be like in the neighboring state of Salzburg in the municipality of Kuchl.
They have issued a quarantine that will prevent citizens from getting out of the community.
Public life stands completely still.
With us it is at least still the case that the citizens can do the shopping for their daily needs.
And they are allowed on the doorstep - it is good for your health if you can go outside and go for a walk.
SPIEGEL:
What are your hopes for the measures, which are now limited to 14 days?
Kern:
I really hope that the number of infections will go down.
The incidence will probably be over 35 or 50, but let's get away from the over 200 where we are right now.
I hope that regular school operations can be resumed on November 9th after the autumn break.
SPIEGEL:
What is the threat to citizens who do not adhere to the measures?
Kern:
The words voluntariness and solidarity are central.
Common sense tells us that we must all limit ourselves now.
I therefore assume that people will adhere to the guidelines.
SPIEGEL:
But if they don't, will there be fines?
The general decree mentions up to 25,000 euros.
Kern:
That will be difficult to implement and it is not our will.
Now reason and solidarity are the order of the day in the Berchtesgadener Land district.
SPIEGEL:
How is your health department coping with the increasing numbers?
Kern:
We have no personnel problems, on the contrary.
We have support from the Bundeswehr, the police and the Ministry of Health.
In total, we have more than a hundred CTT ("Contact Tracing Teams") people who help us track the chains of infection.
SPIEGEL:
Have you ever experienced something similar in your time as a local politician?
Kern:
No.
Really never.
In 2015, I was the mayor of a small community with 5500 inhabitants and at that time I saw the refugee issue.
I've already learned a lot there.
But that's a different dimension and really intense.
SPIEGEL:
How has your everyday life been in the last few days?
Do you even get to sleep?
Kern:
Of course.
I can always sleep.
It is simply part of taking the appropriate recovery phases - but there are not many at the moment.
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