No 2G plus in gastronomy: hosts take a deep breath - "The relief is huge"

Created: 01/13/2022, 05:36 PM

From: Christoph Peters

Monika Pummer from the "Dragoon" in Peiting is happy that the 2G regulation in gastronomy is staying.

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2G plus in the catering industry is now off the table in Bavaria.

That lets the hosts in Peiting breathe a sigh of relief.

But Omikron is already at the door.

Peiting - On Monday, the Peitinger restaurateurs set an example and symbolically switched off the light because of the impending 2G-plus regulation.

The next day, the state government decided to leave it at 2G.

We spoke to Dragoon landlady Monika Pummer about the decision, encouraging calls and the fear of the next lockdown.

Ms. Pummer, the 2G plus rule for gastronomy is off the table.

How relieved are you about that?

Pummer:

A Mount Everest is nothing compared to the stones that have fallen from my heart and my colleagues' hearts.

The relief is also huge among the colleagues in the other restaurants.

Anything else would have been a disaster.

Your campaign received a lot of attention across Bavaria, newspapers and radio stations, even television reported about it.

Do you think that influenced the state government's decision?

Pummer: By switching off

the lights, we wanted to make it clear to people what would happen when the 2G plus rule comes into play in the catering industry.

Of course I wrote to all government agencies and made them aware of them.

I can't say whether we tipped the scales then.

For us personally as hosts, the campaign was definitely very important.

What was the reaction in your restaurant when the lights went out at 8 p.m. on Monday?

Pummer:

We were relatively well attended for the current situation and of course we informed the guests in advance and put candles on the tables.

When it got dark there was spontaneous applause, many thought it was a great story.

A few people even came especially to be there.

In the aftermath, too, I received a lot of calls and messages from people who thought the campaign was good.

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Lights out in Peiting: The fight against 2G plus was also discussed in the network

You also got a lot of support on the Internet, but there were also negative voices who considered the action pointless.

Pummer: The

fact that people sometimes reacted to the reports on the Internet with salmon smileys and stupid comments really hurt me.

I was really exhausted in the evening, something like that takes you with me.

Many people talk easily when they suggest that we should rather complain or shut up completely in protest.

You don't sue the state if you have nothing in your pocket, lawyers don't work for free.

And just shut up, my employees, who depend on their money, would say thank you.

There is also criticism that gastronomy is preferred compared to the cultural sector, where much stricter rules apply.

What do you think?

Pummer:

I can totally understand that this causes trouble.

If I were a creative artist, I would also get extremely upset.

Why should mask compulsory and distance rules apply in the 2G plus theater when you can eat and chat in the restaurant at 2G without a mask?

It's just not logical and doesn't make any sense.

No 2G plus in gastronomy: fear of Omikron in Peiting?

The number of infections in the district is currently increasing again massively because of the Omikron variant.

Are you afraid that the next lockdown might take place soon?

Pummer:

According to the currently valid regulation, we would have to close again at an incidence of over 1000 (after the interview, the hotspot regulation was suspended. Editor's note).

On Tuesday, however, the government said that the hotspot regulation would probably be revised.

Do you hope so?

Pummer:

Definitely.

Omikron is much more contagious, but arguably no longer as dangerous.

The incidence is correspondingly less informative.

It makes no sense to me to close everything down to 1000 if the hospitalization rate is not increasing rapidly at the same time.

The introduction of a general compulsory vaccination is currently being discussed.

In the catering industry, many companies are already complaining about a lack of staff.

Would that make the situation worse?

Pummer:

I can only speak for myself.

We pay fair wages, and some employees have been working for our company for over 15 years.

We do not have any vacancies at the moment.

The mandatory vaccination will not change that.

Currently only two employees are unvaccinated, but they will be vaccinated when the vaccination becomes mandatory.

Still, I am divided about one duty.

I am absolutely convinced that vaccination protects.

On the other hand, I respect if someone does not want to be vaccinated for personal reasons.

Regardless of whether you are in favor of or against the vaccination: I would like a little more respect on both sides.

Because pressure always only creates counter pressure.

The interview was conducted by Christoph Peters.