Suspension of the hotspot rule: Munich breathes a sigh of relief - riders with their own proposal

Created: 01/13/2022, 19:20

By: Claudia Schuri, Leonie Hudelmaier, Christian Deutschländer

Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD) supports the suspension of the Corona hotspot regulation.

© MARCUS SLEEP/Archive

Does Munich have to go into lockdown again?

Many in the city feared this because of the high incidence of corona.

Now it became clear: Locking up is off the table for now.

Munich – The numbers are skyrocketing: the corona incidence on Thursday in Munich * was 645.3 – the day before it was 596.8.

The city is thus approaching a critical mark.

Because so far in Bavaria it has been the case that from an incidence of 1000 people are closed.

Taverns, hotels, sports and cultural facilities have to close, and fewer customers are allowed in the shops.

Lockdown rule suspended: Reiter supports the Holetscheks step

But now the redeeming message from Health Minister Klaus Holetschek (CSU): The hotspot rule is suspended *.

A lockdown is off the table in Munich for the time being.

Holetschek says he doesn't want to anticipate the decision of next week's meeting in the Council of Ministers.

"But I could imagine that we will raise the current limit for a regional hotspot of 1000." Head of State Chancellery Florian Herrmann (CSU) had already indicated this because omicron is more contagious but less deadly.

Instead of 1000, maybe only close at 3000, that's what the government is whispering about.

These are the decisions of the Council of Ministers this week.

Bavaria goes its own way when it comes to gastronomy*.

Munich's Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter* (SPD) also advocates an adjustment: "You have to carefully examine the regulations that were set in autumn under the impression of the delta variant to see whether they also make sense in the current infection process," he says.

“For me, it is still crucial how the situation in the clinics is.” That makes more sense than just aligning the measures with the number of new infections.

In the Munich hospitals, 251 beds are currently occupied by patients with corona infection.

These include 73 intensive care beds and ten beds in intensive care.

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Munich gastronomy happy about the decision from the Ministry of Health

In the catering trade, people are happy that the danger has been averted of having to close until a decision is made. "That would be fatal," says the spokesman for the city center hosts Gregor Lemke. "The damage would be very great." Hofbräukeller boss Silja Schrank-Steinberg also explains: "It's not the case that you can simply turn off the light switch in the catering trade and go home." A lockdown would also be a great burden for the employees been.

A closed restaurant would also bring “the city center to an immediate standstill”, points out Peter Eduard Meier from the “Ed.Meier” shoe shop.

In retail, the number of customers would have been further reduced.

"In peak times, for example, long queues could have formed in front of supermarkets," says Bernd Ohlmann from the Bavarian Trade Association.

He demands: "Away with the incidence rules and back to the hospital traffic light."

The culture would also have been hit hard by a lockdown.

"A complete shutdown would be a huge loss for the whole industry," says Frederik Mayet from the Volkstheater.

David Süss from the Association of Munich Cultural Organizers also demands: "Culture must no longer be treated so inappropriately unequal to other areas of life such as gastronomy."

As Holetschek emphasizes, the occupancy of the clinics will be "very closely monitored".

The Council of Ministers will also discuss where 2G and 2G-plus rules are necessary - including for catering and accommodation.