Corona numbers in the Erlangen-Höchstadt district have skyrocketed: is it due to the Bergkirchweih? – Gain

– Within a very short time, the corona numbers in the Erlangen-Höchstadt district rose rapidly: on Tuesday, the region had the third highest incidence value in Germany. The Erlangen Bergkirchweih is a potential cause. But what part of the infection process does the festival really have?

After the end of the traditional Bergkirchweih, the incidence in the Erlangen-Höchstadt district is again in the four-digit range. According to the Robert Koch Institute, the seven-day incidence doubled almost overnight from Monday (632.9) to Tuesday (1181.0). Only two districts in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony currently have higher values.

But what is the reason for the sudden and rapid increase in the number of infections? The Bergkirchweih is the obvious answer: around a million visitors drink, sit and party tightly packed in the alleys and in the cellars. Before the tapping, the incidence in the district was 426.5. Twelve days later, the value is beyond the 1000 mark.

According to Stephanie Mack, a direct connection between the infection process and such major events cannot be established. The spokeswoman for the district office explained opposite inFranken.de: “The 7-day incidence has been increasing again overall for two weeks in Bavaria and Germany.”

Infections as a result of festivals such as the Bergkirchweih are not reflected in the number of cases in the district in which the event took place, but in the district where the visitor concerned lives. For comparison: the incidence in the urban district of Erlangen was only 554.3 on Tuesday. “It is therefore not possible to determine in detail what influence the Bergkirchweih and other major events held recently or in parallel have on the number of cases in a specific district,” says Mack.

–