In line with the Framework specifications that the federal and state governments agreed on Wednesday have, Bavaria is also loosening the lockdown rules that have been in force until now. The 7-day incidence thresholds of 35, 50 and 100 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants remain decisive for the relief, but also for a further tightening of the requirements.
If the respective thresholds are exceeded in districts or cities on three consecutive days, the more stringent requirements come into force “from the second following working day”. In Mainfranken are currently all districts and urban districts stable below the incidence of 100, Kitzingen and Bad Kissingen are currently above the threshold of 50 new infections. In Bavaria, 36 of the 96 cities and districts were last with an incidence of 50, 76 with an incidence of 100.
Is there a regional threat of switching between opening and closing again?
However, several districts such as Haßberge, Rhön-Grabfeld, Main-Spessart or the city of Würzburg fluctuated recently around the incidence 50 or came close to it again. Switching between opening and closing the retail trade seems to be quite possible there. Only the districts of Würzburg and Schweinfurt and the city of Schweinfurt were recently stable and well below an incidence of 50 in Mainfranken.
The following new corona rules apply to the respective regional incidence from next Monday in Bavaria ?? all other requirements such as the mask requirement continue to apply unchanged:
Meetings with significantly more people are allowed again
If the incidence is below 100, two households with a maximum of five people may meet again from March 8th, children under 14 years of age are not included. With a stable incidence below 35, ten people from a maximum of three households are allowed to come together ?? this would currently only be possible in the city of Schweinfurt in Mainfranken.
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Travel that is not absolutely necessary is prohibited
If the incidence rises above the threshold 100, the previously valid rule comes into force again, which only allows meetings with one other person outside of one’s own household. Over incidence 100, a night curfew between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. will continue to apply in Bavaria. In principle, “non-essential” trips and family visits should be avoided.
Retail: opening of stores only below incidence 50
In addition to the openings of flower shops, garden centers and hardware stores as well as hairdressers, nail studios and driving schools that are already in effect in Bavaria, bookshops are now also allowed to open regardless of the regional incidence. With a stable incidence of 50, the rest of the retail trade is also allowed to reopen ?? with the limitation in all shops to one customer per ten square meters to 800 square meters of sales area and one additional customer for every additional 20 square meters.
Between incidence 50 and 100, retailers can offer “appointment shopping” by appointment? with a maximum of one customer per 40 square meters. With an incidence of over 100, the previously applicable opening only for “shops for daily needs” – which now also include bookshops.
From March 15, more children in Bavaria’s schools
From March 15, Bavaria will continue to relax teaching in schools: In regions with an incidence of 50, elementary schools and special needs schools up to grade four are to be completely included in classroom teaching. All other grade levels come with a mask requirement in the alternation of lessons between classroom and home school. Between the incidence of 50 and 100, all grades of all types of schools should take alternating lessons. The incidence remains above 100, as is the case with distance teaching at present.
In addition, parents should be able to take a quick test twice a week, and students over the age of 15 once a week. In addition, all teachers should receive a vaccination offer. He urged all teachers to accept the offer of tests and vaccinations, said Söder.
Culture: Theaters and cinemas have to wait longer to open
In the field of culture, museums, galleries, zoos and botanical gardens are allowed to open at an incidence of 50 from Monday. Between incidence 50 and 100, this can be done by booking an appointment in advance. Theaters, concert and opera houses as well as cinemas should only be allowed to open in a next step and a further 14 days, regionally sustained low incidence ?? in the case of incidences between 50 and 100, only with the “daily negative quick test or self-test”.
Sport: Relaxation in the outdoor area ?? especially for children
With an incidence of 50, “non-contact sport in small groups of a maximum of ten people outdoors” will be allowed from March 8th. In addition, up to an incidence of 100 “individual sport with a maximum of five people from two households” is possible. Under 14-year-olds are allowed to do “sport in groups of up to 20 children” outdoors up to an incidence of 100. In a further step, if the incidence is stable after 14 days, “non-contact sport indoors and contact sport outdoors” should be allowed? at incidences between 50 and 100, however, only with a current quick test or self-test. Contact sports in the hall could not be possible until the beginning of April at the earliest.
Restaurants: Hope for outdoor catering from the end of March
It is not possible to open the outdoor catering before March 22nd ?? and that only if the incidence remains stable below 50. Between incidence 50 and 100, from this point in time only “outdoor catering with appointment booking” is allowed ?? In the case of several households at one table, a current quick test or self-test. The federal and state governments will not discuss further perspectives for the hospitality industry as well as for hotels and travel until March 24th.
Testing and vaccination should be significantly better
For better protection against infection, all companies should also enable their employees who are in attendance to have at least one free rapid test per week. Starting next week, all citizens should also be able to take a free quick test per week at test centers, family doctors or pharmacies. Unlike in the federal government, there are enough rapid tests in Bavaria, promised Söder.
Vaccination management is also to be improved: the capacity of the vaccination centers is to be expanded quickly. In addition, family doctors should also be able to have corona vaccinations by the beginning of April at the latest. “Bavaria vaccinates what works,” promised Söder. In addition, the “cumbersome vaccination bureaucracy” had to be overcome. For general practitioners, for example, prioritizing vaccination on certain groups should only be a recommendation “in order to have higher speeds when vaccinating”.
“Corona is not over yet,” warned Söder. It now also depends on the people how the situation develops: “Not everything that is allowed has to be done,” warned Söder: “Easter vacation or Easter lockdown – that also depends on each individual.”
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