*FYI - this post may affiliate links, which means we earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase from them. Also, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For the full scoop on what this means, feel free to check out our Privacy Policy and Disclosure.
Our beloved Oktoberfest has already been cancelled, but any dreams of major Volksfests or street festivals this year may have to wait a while longer.
While Germany’s ban on large events was initially only issued until the end of August, it was decided in a meeting among federal state leaders on Wednesday that the current ban will be extended until October 31.
While what constitutes a large event has not been precisely defined, it seems that this will cover events where most attendees do not know each other, such as large concerts, street festivals, music festivals, etc. The exact numbers and criteria of “large event” is to be decided by individual states.
Some outlets have also reported that exceptions may potentially been granted if events are able to establish event concepts that allow for important factors such as transmission tracking, minimum distance, etc. to take place. The exact criteria of these exceptions is also not yet known.
On a more optimistic note, restrictions have recently been relaxed regarding private events such as birthdays, weddings and parties, with an allowance of up to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors. The distinction here however is of course, any potential transmission can be easily tracked when most participants know each other, whereas tracking may be more difficult in large events like festivals where most participants do not know each other personally.
For more information on coronavirus-related restrictions/changes coming, refer to this post here.
