Shortly before the lockdown: Garmisch-Partenkirchen district breaks the critical 200 mark

The region was still missing that: Shortly before the Germany-wide hard lockdown from Wednesday, the Garmisch-Partenkirchen district reached a new high in incidence on Monday.

Meanwhile, businesses are already preparing for lockdown.

District

- As if the lockdown from Wednesday weren't enough of the restrictions, the Garmisch-Partenkirchen district also broke the 200 mark for the seven-day incidence on Monday.

The Robert Koch Institute calculated a value of 206.96 on the basis of information from the Garmisch-Partenkirchner health department - with 56 positive test results over the weekend, no big surprise.

The number of deaths has also risen to 38.

Three other residents of the BRK retirement home Garhöll died on Sunday evening and Monday.

This means that there are now 13 victims from this care facility for the elderly who can be traced back to the major outbreak at the beginning of December.

Sad facts.

It therefore does not seem surprising that the incidence for the district has now passed the next critical mark.

But: Both the case of the Murnau nursing home and the infections in the Oberammergau Waldburg-Zeil Clinic were at least a week ago, so they are not the cause of the further aggravation of the situation.

"The numbers were already very high in both cases," confirms Stephan Scharf, the spokesman for the district office.

However, he also makes it clear that they cannot be made solely responsible for breaking the 200 mark.

"The last numbers are very diffuse again." In plain language: It was not the outbreaks in Murnau and Oberammergau that put the district in the position to announce this in certain parts already on Tuesday one day before the Germany-wide lockdown.

Special rules for incidence from 200

In the event of an incidence of more than 200, stricter measures have been in place in Bavaria since December 9, such as the curfew after 9 p.m.

In the period up to 5 a.m. the apartment may only be left with a valid reason (work, medical emergency, care for animals, etc.).

In schools, from the 8th grade onwards, distance teaching is required (with the exception of final classes and special needs schools).

Meetings: District assembly takes place, Garmisch-Partenkirchen cancels everything

Elisabeth Koch (CSU) has nailed it.

On Monday morning, the mayor of Garmisch-Partenkirchen decided to postpone all meeting dates until after the lockdown.

“The risk is too great for us,” says Koch openly.

"We have now exceeded the incidence of 200, we don't have to make the appointments."

The Garmisch-Partenkirchen town hall is currently alone with this approach.

In the remaining municipalities, the dates are currently still set.

The district is also sticking to its district assembly in Krün on Thursday.

"We are doing it, albeit in a slimmed-down version, we will forego long technical presentations," emphasizes press spokesman Stephan Scharf.

State parliament member Andreas Krahl (Greens), who is also known to be represented in the district council, wrote to the district administration on Monday morning with the request that the meeting be postponed to January.

“Over 60 people are together in a closed room for several hours.

Such an event can quickly develop into a superspreader event despite compliance with the AHA rules, ”warned Krahl.

In his opinion, there is nothing to prevent the decisions from being made until January.

The district office contradicts him.

There are "some decisions that cannot be postponed," says a letter that Krahl received on Monday afternoon.

Attempts are made to reduce the session to a minimum.

Krahl can't believe it and has sent another questionnaire to the authorities in which he inquires about protective measures such as rapid tests for local politicians.

Tenor: "Do you see no increased potential for infection?" There has not yet been an answer.  

Lockdown from Wednesday

Regulations that will come into force on Wednesday in all Bavarian districts.

The Bavarian cabinet agreed on this yesterday morning.

According to this, the retail trade will close from December 16, except for daily supplies, and all businesses that require physical proximity to the customer will have to close.

Bavaria also completely seals off the schools and relies on distance learning opportunities.

Even for employees of mobile care services, as in the homes, negative tests will in future be required in order to be able to work for the elderly - ideally twice a week (for details see main part).

Displeasure in the hairdressing industry

In so far, there is another big rush in the domestic shops on Tuesday.

For example in the hairdressing trade.

After the summer and statements from Health Minister Jens Spahn that there would be no more hard lockdown, they felt a little safe there.

Birgit Binder is happy to admit that.

Now the industry is hitting the renewed closure with full force.

“We were already full by Christmas,” says the head master for Garmisch-Partenkirchen, who runs her salon in Seehausen.

The appointments had to be canceled unless the customer was accommodated somewhere at short notice.

For this purpose, the hairdressers opened earlier, sometimes longer, even until 9 p.m.

Binder was in her shop from 6.30 a.m.

“But we can't manage all of our customers.

We only have two hands. "

She criticizes the government.

It could have warned and announced the planned closure last week.

“Not just on Sunday lunchtime.” Although after the six-week lockdown in the spring, the hairdressers had just presented a tightened hygiene concept, “we have now got it again,” complains Binder.

Even worse: financial disaster looms.

“The hairdressers can't get that in.

The money is gone.

The customers don't come twice a week. "

Murnau dealers set up delivery service

The retail trade will also be closed tomorrow morning.

Guntram Gattner's bookstore in Murnau was overrun by customers yesterday.

“I've never seen such a rush.” The retailer has already been busy in the past two weeks, says the spokesman for the Association for Economic Development.

He had to reorder the popular titles in his shop.

Unlike the hairdressing industry, retail was prepared for the lockdown.

"It was already clear to us on Saturday that we only had two or three days left," emphasizes Gattner.

The short term is still a problem.

Like some of his colleagues, he also unlocked his shop and hangs on the back for a few hours.

Gattner refers to a special service: A delivery service is to be set up in the Murnau area by Christmas.

The Association for Economic Development and the market town provide vehicles for all jewelry, shoe or fashion shops and bookstores that still want to deliver something.

“They also go to Ohlstadt, Eschenlohe and Uffing,” says Gattner.

Rush of gift buyers

There was also a lot going on on Monday in the Garmisch center.

According to Gabi Hoffmann, second chairwoman of the local business people, there is no uniform opening times.

“Everyone deals with that for themselves.” Franz Käßer confirms a rush from Partenkirchen's point of view.

"I have the feeling that there is more going on than last week," says the chairman of "Experience Partenkirchen".

He has noticed that some "people are panicking" and want to buy gifts at the last minute before it goes into lockdown.

Announcement at the district office

There is no panic at the district office.

"We have to wait and see what to expect," says Spokesman Scharf.

With this he alludes to the exact regulations.

The only thing that was important for the agency on Monday was to publish the new incidence.

Because that is also anchored in the Bavarian regulations.

A corresponding announcement was therefore hung in the showcase on Olympiastraße and also posted on the homepage.