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WINTER

Hundreds of Germans flout Covid rules to enjoy snow

German ski resorts are closed this year because of the coronavirus situation. But snow in some regions of the country drew winter sports fans – despite the lockdown restrictions.

Published: 28 December 2020 15:39 CET
Updated: 28 December 2020 16:58 CET
Hundreds of Germans flout Covid rules to enjoy snow
People enjoying the snow in Winterberg on Monday. The city council had urged people to turn back due to the crowds at the weekend. Photo: DPA

People in Germany have been urged to stay at home as much as possible and avoid travel as the country grapples with high Covid-19 cases.

But snowfall in the Erzgebirge, Sauerland and Black Forest regions attracted winter sports fans, resulting in violations of coronavirus restrictions, groups of people and large traffic jams.

Police swooped on the Fichtelberg in the Ore Mountains in Saxony as people ignored the rules to experience the snowy weather.

Officers registered more than 100 violations of restrictions on Christmas Day and Boxing Day alone.

Social networks were flooded with pictures of people taking advantage of the Christmas holidays to go sledging or for a walk in the snow on the Fichtelberg – in some areas, they were crowded together.

The eastern state of Saxony has the highest coronavirus rate in Germany and is currently in a strict lockdown, with a curfew in place.

People are only allowed to leave their homes for a valid reason. Resident can only travel up to 15km from their home for exercise or essential shopping. From December 24th to 26th the contact restrictions were relaxed, but not other rules.

Traffic jams and accidents in Sauerland

According to police, the resort town of Winterberg, which was covered in snow, also experienced a rush of visitors on Sunday with traffic jams and a number of traffic accidents.

A police spokesman for the Hochsauerland district in North Rhine-Westphalia reported extremely high numbers of visitors and traffic congestion.

The city council of Winterberg had asked everyone to stop travelling to the area on its Facebook page.

“The traffic situation is currently already coming to an extreme head again,” the city wrote on its website on Monday, urging people to turn around and not visit the area.

All parking capacities are exhausted and the roads are clogged, the city said, adding that the ski lifts are closed anyway.

“Sledging at the lifts is not allowed, even though many do it,” they added.  Huts and toilets are also closed. “There are no refreshment or warm-up facilities,” the city council added. “Don't put yourself through the stress.”

Police check points set up to limit access

Similar scenes happened around the town of Dobel in the Black Forest, Baden-Württemberg, where police were also called at the weekend. According to the Pforzheimer Zeitung, officers closed the access roads to Dobel when the crowds became too large.

Later, when the car parks were overcrowded with day trippers, only residents and buses were allowed to pass the police checkpoints

Those who had a sled in their car had to turn back. There were also problems as cars were blocking driveways and parked on private property.

In view of the partly chaotic conditions, the state health ministry called on Monday for restraint for the upcoming long weekend.

“We appeal to people to refrain from day trips and not to push the existing rules to the limit,” said a spokesperson for the Baden-Württemberg Ministry.

He pointed out that the relaxations of curfew rules for private meetings only applied over the Christmas holidays.

On New Year's Eve, New Year's Day and the weekend, sports and exercise in the fresh air are only allowed alone, with members of your own household or with another person not living in the same household.

Quarantine obligation aimed at deterring tourists

It's not only in Germany where there's been chaos due to people flocking to the snow. However, in neighbouring Austria, the situation is different as ski resorts are allowed to open.

But there were such huge traffic jams at times over the weekend that some ski resorts pulled the emergency brake and closed access.

READ ALSO: Skiing in Austria – What does the coronavirus lockdown look like for winter sports?

Bodental in Carinthia, which offers winter hiking and cross-country skiing, remained closed on Sunday after Saturday's rush, as did the sledging meadows in Semmering, about 100 kilometres southwest of Vienna.

In Damüls in Vorarlberg, about 70 kilometres south of Lindau on Lake Constance, a large crowd had to be broken up by police.

In Austria, ski resorts are mainly only open to residents there.

For travellers from abroad (including Germany) there is a 10-day quarantine obligation, which aims to deter most tourists.

In addition, FFP2 masks as mouth and nose protection are mandatory for all skiers over 14 years of age who use gondolas or lifts or have to queue.

Member comments

  1. Maybe many people should lose their salary for a month or 5….
    Then they will start to take this pandemic seriously and behave.

    Still waiting on aid for November. No work in December. And January looks to be a complete right off.

    But keep travelling, not-social distancing and frolicking in the snow whilst many of us are following ALL the rules – and have been for ten months now! – and are suffering.

  2. And we’re surprised,I support the rights of parents to allow their kids to get outside and play. This lockdown is nuts, there is a serious mental health crisis brewing in Germany you can’t lock kids in the room spending hours per day play xbox and not expect problems. Parents give Merkel the middle finger and get you kids outside. Just remember a bit of common sense goes a long ways

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HEALTH

Could there be a new wave of Covid-19 in Germany this autumn?

It’s back again: amid sinking temperatures, the incidence of Covid-19 has been slowly rising in Germany. But is this enough to merit worrying about the virus?

Published: 20 September 2023 12:05 CEST
Updated: 20 September 2023 22:22 CEST
Could there be a new wave of Covid-19 in Germany this autumn?

More people donning face masks in supermarkets, friends cancelling plans last minute due to getting sick with Covid-19. We might have seen some of those familiar reminders recently that the coronavirus is still around, but could there really be a resurgence of the virus like we experienced during the pandemic years?

According to virologists, the answer seems to be ‘maybe’: since July, the number of people newly infected with Covid-19 has been slowly rising from a very low level.

According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), nine people per 100,000 inhabitants became newly infected in Germany last week. A year ago, there were only around 270 reported cases.

Various Corona variants are currently on the loose in the country. According to the RKI,  the EG.5 (also called Eris) and XBB.1.16 lines were each detected in the week ending September 3rd with a share of just under 23 percent. 

The highly mutated variant BA.2.86 (Pirola), which is currently under observation by the World Health Organisation (WHO), also arrived in the country this week, according to RKI. 

High number of unreported case

The RKI epidemiologists also warned about a high number of unreported cases since hardly any testing is done. They pointed out that almost half of all registered sewage treatment plants report an increasing viral load in wastewater tests.

The number of hospital admissions has also increased slightly, but are still a far cry from the occupation rate amid the pandemic. Last week it was two per 100,000 inhabitants. In the intensive care units, only 1.2 percent of all beds are occupied by Covid-19 patients.

Still, a good three-quarters (76.4 percent) of people in Germany have been vaccinated at least twice and thus have basic immunity, reported RKI. 

Since Monday, doctors’ offices have been vaccinating with the adapted vaccine from Biontech/Pfizer, available to anyone over 12 years old, with a vaccine for small children set to be released the following week and one for those between 5 and 11 to come out October 2nd.

But Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has so far only recommended that people over 60 and those with pre-existing conditions get vaccinated.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Who should get a Covid jab this autumn in Germany?

“The pandemic is over, the virus remains,” he said. “We cannot predict the course of coming waves of corona, but it is clear that older people and people with pre-existing conditions remain at higher risk of becoming severely ill from Covid-19”

The RKI also recommended that people with a cold voluntarily wear a mask. Anyone exhibiting cough, cold, sore throat or other symptoms of a respiratory illness should voluntarily stay at home for three to five days and take regular corona self-tests. 

However, further measures such as contact restrictions are not necessary, he said.

One of many diseases

As of this autumn, Covid-19 could be one of many respiratory diseases. As with influenza, there are no longer absolute infection figures for coronavirus.

Saarbrücken pharmacist Thorsten Lehr told German broadcaster ZDF that self-protection through vaccinations, wearing a mask and getting tested when symptoms appear are prerequisites for surviving the Covid autumn well. 

Only a new, more aggressive mutation could completely turn the game around, he added.

On April 7th of this year, Germany removed the last of its over two-year long coronavirus restrictions, including mask-wearing in some public places.

READ ALSO: German doctors recommend Covid-19 self-tests amid new variant

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