Schunkel course for carnival

Created: 2022-02-18Updated: 2022-02-18, 5:54 p.m

Roland Wehrle.

© Philipp von Ditfurth/dpa/archive image

fool!

Fool!

Well what now?

For a long time it was unclear whether the carnival fans would finally be allowed to roam the streets again.

Well, just before the "Schmotzigen Dunschtig" it's clear: you can.

But not right.

Stuttgart – The fools in the country are allowed to celebrate carnival in the streets again for the first time in two years – albeit under very restricted conditions.

Events are possible in compliance with the 3G rule, Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) explained on Friday in the state parliament.

Events and parades could take place again this year, provided they are manageable and controllable, reported the President of the Association of Swabian-Alemannic Fools' Guilds (VSAN), Roland Wehrle, after a conversation with the Ministry of Health.

Next Thursday (February 24th) the high phase of the foolish season begins with the "Schmotzigen Dunschtig".

Depending on the region, the fools often celebrate individual customs for a week.

In addition to the 3G rule, there should also be an FFP2 mask requirement at the fools’ meetings, Wehrle reported.

However, fools should do without the corona mask if they wear elaborately carved masks ("larvae") themselves.

Public order offices, the police and the guild should form joint control teams.

For most clubs, however, the message from the state government came too late, Wehrle criticized - it was difficult to get something going on such short notice.

"Therefore, there will probably only be smaller events." Some guilds would have liked an earlier announcement from the state government.

"But I also understand that.

The dynamics of this virus were unpredictable.”

In fact, Prime Minister Kretschmann had recently sent contradictory signals to the Fasnet fans.

On Thursday he had declared that carnival parades would not be allowed.

On Friday in the state parliament, he then explained in the plenary session: "As a passionate carnival fool, I would like to say a word about the carnival: Events to cultivate local carnival customs are possible in consultation with the responsible authorities under the 3G rule."

Means: As long as it can be ensured that fools and spectators are vaccinated, recovered or tested, they are allowed to roam the streets this year.

The fools in Rottweil had already announced that they wanted to hold their traditional fool's jump in a closed-off area in the old town, taking into account the 2G-plus rule and the FFP2 mask requirement.

This means that only vaccinated and recovered people with a current rapid test are allowed to be there.

The number of spectators is limited to 6000.

Whether one calls such a fool's leap in a limited area a move is left to the observer.

In any case, the opposition accuses Kretschmann - as so often before in this pandemic - of a lurching course and a lack of planning.

With regard to the carnival, the FDP speaks of an "egg dance", the SPD of a swing course and "Kretschmann's Fasnet carousel".

"The fact that the Prime Minister is now giving completely contradictory signals from one day to the next as to whether and how carnival is allowed is the opposite of love for customs," says Florian Wahl, health policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group.

The state government is passing the buck to the municipalities and disregarding the many volunteers in the carnival clubs.

Not only the fools are allowed to return a bit to normality, after months of restrictions, the whole country is daring to relax significantly from next week.

Prime Minister Kretschmann announced the planned opening steps out of the Corona requirements in the state parliament on Friday.

Clubs and discotheques are allowed to reopen under certain conditions, the access rules for restaurants are relaxed, trade fairs are allowed again and significantly more spectators are admitted to events.

The background is that because of the slightly milder Omicron variant, the health system is no longer as heavily burdened as with Delta.

What will change specifically?

So far, the so-called alarm level I has applied in the southwest, but the limit values ​​​​for reaching this level are now being raised - more precisely the number of corona infected people who come to a normal ward in a clinic within a week and per 100,000 inhabitants.

With the new limit values, the warning level should come into force again from next week.

Then the 3G rule will apply to many events - for gastronomy, culture, leisure, trade fairs - instead of the 2G rule.

Even those who have not been vaccinated then have access again with an up-to-date test.

For those who have not been vaccinated, a household with ten people will be allowed to meet instead of just two.

Despite the planned easing, Kretschmann continues to locate himself in the “Team Caution”.

Loosen yes, but "not with a big bang," he said in his government statement.

More than ten percent of those over 60 are still not vaccinated.

The Prime Minister therefore again called for a set of tools for the period after March 20th in order to be able to take action against a pandemic that flared up again if necessary.

From then on, according to the decision of the federal and state governments, “all more far-reaching protective measures” should be eliminated.

In addition, you have to make provisions now for the coming autumn and winter.

You have to expect other corona variants and another wave in winter.

Kretschmann therefore spoke again in favor of a general obligation to vaccinate and a vaccination register.

more on the subject

Relaxed corona rules: there are no curfews

State pushes opening plans ahead of federal-state conference

Kretschmann: Clubs and discotheques remain closed

Kretschmann only reluctantly switched from "Team Stubbornness" to "Team Freedom", said FDP parliamentary group leader Hans-Ulrich Rülke.

The SPD accused Kretschmann of a lack of strategy.

It was just two weeks ago that the head of government ruled out exit debates until Easter, said SPD parliamentary group leader Andreas Stoch.

The current opening steps would be in stark contradiction to this.

The decision by the federal and state governments now shows a way out of the pandemic.

Now Kretschmann no longer has to stumble and drive on sight.

The head of government, on the other hand, must now prepare the country for the fall, said Stoch.

"Don't put your feet up!" dpa