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Following an official press conference earlier today from Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder about the state’s updated lockdown measures (summary here), Munich’s mayor Dieter Reiter has released a statement of his own, touching on important issues including the fate of Munich’s signature event, Oktoberfest.
You can read the full statement in German here on Muenchen.de, but for your convenience, here is a translation in English:
“The measures taken in Munich over the past few weeks have shown an impact. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank the people of Munich who have made a significant contribution to this positive development by adhering to the city’s exit restrictions and social distancing rules. While the number of new infections does increase, it does so significantly slower than before.
I share Minister-President Söder’s assessment that there is reason for cautious optimism. We continue to work closely together and have also discussed the measures that have now been announced.
Rightly so, people want to know what the path back to normal life will be like, and with careful consideration have we put together the recently announced easing of lockdown measures.
Especially for those who live alone, the loosened exit restrictions provide great relief. One may now meet with a person who does not live with them in the same household, an important update to help combat loneliness.
I am also pleased that emergency care in our day care centers and primary schools has been expanded. What the city of Munich is already doing now applies throughout Bavaria: If even one parent works in a system critical profession, the child can now go into emergency care. This also applies to single parents, regardless of one’s profession.
To all others, I acknowledge that balancing career obligations and childcare is a difficult challenge. I would like to thank all parents for their extraordinary commitment, and I would like to appeal to employers for their utmost cooperation and understanding.
I also welcome the fact that small shops and stores with appropriate hygiene requirements can reopen at the end of April and will hopefully be able to weather this crisis. Unfortunately, there is currently no all-clear for the catering trade and the hotel industry. This hits many hard, I know that, but we will reassess the situation and make new arrangements as soon as doing so is reasonable.
State leaders also decided yesterday that there will be no major events until the end of August. Of course, this also applies to popular festivals. I share Minister President Söder’s skepticism that, from today’s perspective, it is difficult to imagine that Oktoberfest, the world’s largest folk festival, will take place this year. I have agreed with the Minister-President that we will take a decision on this in April.”
