Offenbach (dpa / lhe) – After a sharp increase in Covid 19 cases in Offenbach, the city reacted by returning to stricter measures. There should be more controls to reach “mask refusers”, said health department chief Sabine Groß on Monday after a meeting of the crisis team. Mandatory tests for returnees from risk areas, which are expected nationwide this week, should already apply in Offenbach. Commissioner for regulatory affairs, Peter Freier, announced that violations of corona protective measures should be punished with fines that “hurt your wallet”. At the same time, it would be badly advised to “shut down the whole city right away,” he said.
Offenbach exceeded the threshold of 35 sick people per 100,000 inhabitants at the weekend. The country’s escalation concept provides for new restrictions on public life if the 7-day incidence exceeds 35. The increased number of cases in Offenbach is mainly attributed to people returning from risk areas and a single event, namely a bus trip to a Dutch cheese factory.
At the meeting, a ban on barbecues and picnics in public areas was decided. Joint sport is only allowed contactless for a maximum of ten people or members of a joint household and at a distance of 1.5 meters. At urban events or cultural events in urban areas, the five-square-meter rule will be returned.
Mayor Felix Schwenke (SPD) said that of the 46 cases of illness that brought Offenbach above the threshold, only six of the infection routes were not known. According to the information, a total of 21 sick people were already in quarantine. The authorities assume further illnesses, but pointed out that 410 other contact persons of the sick are currently in quarantine. The city’s crisis team will meet daily until further notice, it said.
There was also an increase in corona cases in Wiesbaden after a private summer party with at least 100 participants. The affected guests have for the most part already been identified, tested and some have been quarantined, the Hessian city announced on Monday. So far, 18 positive cases have been reported, further test results are still pending. According to the city, the health department must now identify all contact persons for those affected. This is “extremely time-consuming”, since a few days have passed since the festival and some of the guests have gone on vacation.
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