Cologne –
One thing is clear: this virus will not go away on its own. But what path the city would like to take to contain the pandemic can now hardly be determined. A few weeks ago, Mayor Henriette Reker had campaigned for the no-Covid strategy and tried to get bans on going out at night.
Clear edge, sharp measures, that sounded like it. Since then the incidence has skyrocketed – but the city (like other municipalities) has loosened up. How Cologne wants to reverse the trend was recently no longer apparent.
The state has not pulled the emergency brake, but at least partially left the decision to cities like Cologne. It took until the evening on Friday for the administration to declare that it would close all shops and museums. This is painful and not a panacea, but it is a signal that shows: It cannot go on like this. It will first take an effort from all citizens to stop the spread of the virus. After that, Cologne can become a model city with a clever opening strategy.
– .
