District / Kaufbeuren - In the city of Kaufbeuren and in the district, the number of infections is skyrocketing.
In the meantime, the Ostallgäu is colored purple on the RKI dashboard, which transmits the registration data of the Robert Koch Institute.
That means, hotspot lockdown for the Ostallgäu.
Because in view of this Bavaria-wide development, the state government reacted and tightened the measures in the fight against the pandemic last Wednesday.
As a result, catering establishments have to partially close, Christmas markets cannot take place - and stricter access restrictions apply to cultural and sporting events.
In contrast to previous pandemic restrictions, there is no longer a distinction between retail and wholesale.
Trading as a whole remains excluded from 2G.
However, the following applies: ten square meters of sales area must be available per customer (20 square meters per customer in the case of hotspot lockdown).
This means that fewer customers are allowed per store at the same time (see also info box)
Bars, clubs and nighttime restaurants, on the other hand, have to close for the next three weeks by December 15th.
In the rest of the catering trade there is a curfew from 10 p.m.
The 2G rule has been in effect in cafes and restaurants since November 16.
So only those who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered are allowed to stay there.
If the incidence in a city or a district exceeds the 1,000 mark - as is now the case in Ostallgäu - these facilities must also be closed.
Otherwise there is a curfew from 10 p.m.
Precarious situation
The local catering industry is also suffering from the patchwork of measures and regulations.
"It is a catastrophe that cannot be planned," says Bernhard "Bam" Epple, owner of Gifthütte in Kaufbeuren, describing the current situation.
In his opinion, the current coronavirus situation is even more precarious than a year ago.
“Politics is selling badly in this situation.
The child is already in the well.
I have the feeling that we are incredibly modestly organized.
We are in a long tunnel with a lot of oncoming traffic. "
Martin Krüger, owner of the Elbsee restaurant in Aitrang, sees it similarly.
“We have the same situation as last year.
Nobody expected that.
It's a nightmare.
We restaurateurs feel like pawns. ”Not a single guest was infected with Corona in his restaurant.
"At the moment there is great uncertainty because there are no clear rules," says Andreas Helmer, acting chairman of the Dehoga district association Ostallgäu, describing the current situation to our newspaper.
The entire industry is currently simply lacking the necessary planning security, he criticizes.
Over the winter there is a threat of a constant change between opening and closing of the establishments.
Christmas parties already canceled
In addition, the stricter corona rules such as 2G and the increasing number of infections are now making themselves felt in the industry.
"Christmas parties and larger events are being canceled," he reported.
First it was the larger Christmas parties, but now people are also canceling the smaller ones.
After a traditionally poor November, the Christmas business is an important factor for gastronomy.
"That is a great economic loss."
Most recently, many guests were unsettled and stayed away.
“People are no longer so willing to stop,” he observed.
With the introduction of the 3G plus rule, the first no longer came.
"The first break-in was with 3G plus, as the PCR test was too expensive for many," said the Dehoga district chairman.
According to Helmers, the renewed escalation of the corona crisis was avoidable - through forward-looking political action, clearer rules and a greater willingness to vaccinate the population.
"Due to the low vaccination rate, we are now in a significantly worse position than our southern neighbors in Italy or Spain."
In order to get out of the situation again, more Ostallgäu would have to be vaccinated, so Helmer.
"We have to increase the motivation to vaccinate and appeal to the common sense of the individual!"
This applies:
In urban and rural districts with a seven-day incidence
below 1,000, the
following applies:
• Everyone can continue to shop - including those who have not been tested and who have not been vaccinated - but with an FFP2 mask.
• There is ten square meters of sales area per customer.
• The 2G rule applies in gastronomy.
In urban and rural districts with a seven-day incidence of
more than 1,000
- corona hotspot - the following applies:
• Everyone can still shop.
• There is 20 square meters of space per customer.
• Gastronomy, sports and cultural facilities have to close.
If the incidence falls below the 1,000 limit for at least five days, the stricter rules for the corona hotspots will be lifted.
Will the vaccination be compulsory?
The debate about a general compulsory vaccination against Corona is rapidly gaining pace in Bavaria.
On Monday, the CSU leadership unanimously supported the demands of party leader Markus Söder, who himself had only turned on the Friday before last and is now pleading for a duty for all instead of just for some professions.
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Ulf Zeitler, Kaufbeuren: “I am against compulsory vaccinations, especially with children that is not possible. Absolutely no-go. Who is of legal age can decide for themselves. In fact, there is almost a compulsory vaccination: You do it, or you just don't come in, you have almost nowhere more access, despite current tests and that's nonsense. I can't wear a mask, I'm approached and should explain why. It's nobody's business! I'm not running around with my medical record and quoting from it. I assume that it will result in a compulsory vaccination. Nevertheless, politics makes itself ridiculous and implausible. Weren't intensive care beds dismantled months ago? I can't live with the 2G plus rule, let alone make friends with it. There is only one thing that will bring us further: 1G, than just tested. Everything else is window dressing.The vaccination is not a protection, so people get infected anyway. "
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Even the top of the Free Voters parliamentary group in the state parliament considers such a compulsory vaccination to be unavoidable.
However, free voter boss Hubert Aiwanger reported a series of open questions on Monday.
The local member of the Free Voters' state parliament, Bernhard Pohl, is already clearly against compulsory vaccination, but asks everyone who is able to get vaccinated for medical reasons: “Vaccination is the only way back to freedom!
Nothing has changed. ”Pohl considers a general vaccination requirement to be constitutional, but expects the Federal Constitutional Court to set numerous exceptions of a medical, psychological, religious and ideological nature.
“Opponents of the vaccination will take advantage of this”, said the member of the Landtag from Kaufbeur on request.
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Christian Halbig, Leinau: “Compulsory vaccination is not the solution to the problem.
It turns out that the vaccination doesn't promise what the politicians announced.
In the end, it turns out that promises were not kept.
It makes the belief fade away as a game changer.
We have a much bigger problem: The beds in the clinics are only there the nursing staff who are supposed to look after the patients are missing at every nook and cranny.
I think that only 1G makes sense in our current situation: All of them have to be tested. "
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In addition, he sees an enforcement of the compulsory vaccination difficult to implement.
In many cases, fines alone would not be enough, vaccination with immediate compulsion or even imprisonment - that is definitely going too far for Pohl.
Even if he promotes a vaccination and thinks there is no alternative, it must remain a personal decision for each individual.
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Robert Kämper, Kaufbeuren: “I am not vaccinated because I will not let my good immune system be destroyed.
It's not a vaccination that compares to measles or mumps.
After a spade you have peace.
Why do we have to vaccinate ourselves several times?
It will never end then.
Corona cannot be contained as we would like it to be.
I can understand anyone who works as a nurse or in a hospital and agrees to the vaccination.
I am not a maverick.
However, people should not be vaccinated out of compulsion. "
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