Bad Tölz / Benediktbeuern - Many have already suspected it, now it has been confirmed: The Leonhardi committees of the city of Bad Tölz and Benediktbeuern are canceling Leonhardi trips this year as well.
As in 2020, the corona pandemic is responsible for this again this year.
With the entry into force of the 14th Infection Protection Measures Ordinance on September 1st, there is no legal possibility this year to carry out the well-known horse pilgrimages in the region in honor of Saint Leonhard.
The Leonhardi committees of the community of Benediktbeuern and the city of Bad Tölz, which recently met about this, have now come to this decision.
"For this purpose, those responsible have obtained the infection protection law assessment of the district office in advance," explains town hall spokeswoman Birte Otterbach.
The district office, in turn, obtained information from the government of Upper Bavaria.
The result of the authorities: According to paragraph 15 paragraph 1 "the Leonhardi rides in their planned, typical form are prohibited".
15,000 access controls in Bad Tölz
"Even if this explicit ban had not existed, it would have been difficult to imagine how the legally required 3G regulation would have been implemented in practice," Otterbach emphasizes.
For all participants and visitors - around 15,000 guests were expected in Bad Tölz alone - it should have been ensured that they had been vaccinated, recovered or tested.
"To do this, access controls would have to be carried out in order to control the vaccination and test certificates." This is not realistic given the events that are not shielded from the outside and the high number of visitors to be expected at the weekend.
In this respect, there was no possibility for the city of Bad Tölz and the community of Benediktbeuern to make a different discretionary decision.
Both mayors very much regret the renewed cancellation of the Leonhardi trips.
Mehner: "Another rejection hits us hard"
Tölz 'Mayor Ingo Mehner, says: “It is probably difficult for outsiders to understand what this means for the Leonhard drivers and for the Tölz people.
The renewed rejection hits us all hard. ”The mayor of Benediktbeuern, Anton Ortlieb, can only agree with regret:“ It is us that one of the most important events in the community has to be canceled for the second time in a row Very sorry, especially on behalf of the numerous helpers, teams and horse riders. "