Munich (dpa / lby) – As part of a nationwide day of action, the police and public transport operators across Bavaria also monitored the mask requirement to protect against the corona virus. “Most of them adhere to the mask requirement in an exemplary manner,” said Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann on Monday in Munich, where he and Transport Minister Kerstin Schreyer (both CSU) got an idea of the controls. “Unfortunately, there is always one or the other who goes carelessly or even deliberately without a mouth and nose covering.” Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) warned against negligence in dealing with the Corona requirements.
According to Herrmann, around 700 violations of the mask requirement had already been identified by noon during the inspection, which focused primarily on public transport and public places with high traffic.
In Bavaria, a mask is mandatory for all passengers aged six and over in local public transport. Exceptions are only possible for health reasons and with a medical certificate. You are also required to wear a face-to-face mask on certain areas in city centers or in some other public places.
Since the early hours of the morning, around 1000 officers from the Bavarian police and, in addition, the federal police and employees of the public transport companies and the municipal field services have been on duty, said the interior minister.
It was the third Bavaria-wide action of this kind, the nationwide action day took place for the first time. The Ministry of the Interior does not want to announce an assessment of the control action until Tuesday.
Mask grouches must expect a fine. The catalog of fines of the state health ministry provides for fines of 250 euros for violations of the mask requirement. In milder cases, there may be a warning first.
The decisive factor are not just individual focus controls, but “continuous control pressure” through generally increased checks, said Herrmann. “We also want people to continue to be able to use the various parts of public transport without fear. Only if we make an effort together and all really behave sensibly will we have a good chance of defeating the virus.”
Transport Minister Schreyer reminded that in public transport the mask requirement applies not only in the means of transport, but also in the train stations and at the stops. The vast majority of people, however, adhere to the duty. “Thank you to everyone who helps.”
CSU boss Söder said that, in his view, sloppy handling of the corona requirements was one reason for the consistently high number of infections. “There has been a meander in some places,” he said on Monday before a video conference of the CSU board. For this reason, the second wave of infections is also the more insidious.
In the spring, many people adhered to the guidelines more consistently, and everything in retail is no longer being taken so strictly. In order to reduce the number of infections, the CSU boss called for a “change in mentality”. It shouldn’t be about looking for loopholes – rather, everyone should be aware of how serious the situation is. On Sunday, the Bavarian cabinet decided on a tightened anti-corona course due to the high number of infections.
– .
