At Freiburg's Christmas Market

Corona incidence in Baden-Württemberg (©ntv)

Corona infections in Germany are reaching new record highs every day. Today's 7-day incidence is 420. That's why I went to Freiburg's Christmas market late this afternoon before it was closed down. All Christmas markets are canceled in other states like Bavaria and Thürigen, where Corona cases are more common than in Baden-Württemberg.

Germany, like many countries, has an Infection Protection Act (Infektionsschutzgesetz). When our federal government recognized the scope of the Corona pandemic in early spring 2020, it declared an epidemic emergency.

This epidemische Notlage involves severe restrictions on the fundamental rights of every citizen. The government prohibited public assemblies and imposed contact bans, curfews, and lockdowns. Parliament (Bundestag) was not consulted on these urgent measures and could only approve them after the fact with the required two-thirds majority.

With the adverse developments of the Corona pandemic, the time-limited epidemische Notlage was not only frequently prolonged, but the restrictions were tightened, sometimes significantly.

Currently, Germany is in a dramatic situation. While the old government, which was voted out of office, is just managing its official business, Olaf Scholz, the candidate for chancellor of the traffic light coalition of Social Democrats, Greens, and Liberals, wants to present himself to parliament for the chancellor election only before Nikolausabend (St. Nicholas Eve). What a present!

This pending situation must be seen against the dramatic increase in Corona incidence. In addition, at the beginning of September, Jens Spahn, Minister of Public Health, sounded, "The epidemic emergency will expire on November 25."

©Der Spiegel

Urgent mending was needed. The potential traffic-light government hastily cobbled together a new Infection Protection Act, primarily giving the states more authority in epidemiological emergencies. Since Germany, like the United States, is a federal state, this bill indeed represents a significant step forward. On the other hand, the Christian Democrats, now in opposition, complained that the toolbox of possible actions against epidemics did not go far enough.

A heated debate ensued in the Bundestag, during which the new coalition partners finally pushed the bill through. 

Yesterday, the Senate (Bundesrat) voted. And here, national cohesion took precedence over party interests. Thus, although grudgingly, the Christian-democrat-governed states voted for the new law under one condition: On  December 9, a conference of the state governors on the epidemic situation will advise on further actions and, if necessary, tighten the law.

This preface was quite long, but Baden-Württemberg hasn't even spoken yet. After yesterday's Senate meeting, Governor Winfried Kretschmann considered the Corona situation in the Länd dramatic. He is pushing for more stringent countermeasures. "The situation is as serious as ever in this pandemic," he said.

He announced further restrictions beyond the Alarm level measures if the situation did not improve. These measures could include limiting the number of people at events and confining unvaccinated people in hotspots. In bars, clubs, and discos, the 2G plus rule would apply, meaning those who have been vaccinated or recovered would also have to show a negative result on a recent Corona rapid test.

Panic is settling in Germany. Red Baron was mistaken. He didn't expect many visitors at Freiburg's Christmas market.

I approached the Kaiser-Josef-Straße from the north.
The view of the Siegesdenkmal from the south is hidden
by Freiburg's highest Christmas tree.
Note the tent on the left for a Corona testing station.
It's twilight time.

People are standing in line on Franziskanerstrasse to get
the infamous wristband at the entrance to the Christmas market.

The Rathausplatz is crowded.
Impossible to keep distances.
It is dark by now.

Somewhat less traffic on Turmstraße.

The Colombi-Park and the illuminated Schlössle

To cheer my readers up, here you may read the satirical essay in today's Badische Zeitung:

 

Florian Kech's Newsreel

Despite advance warnings, and unlike many other cities, Freiburg has opened its Christmas market. Many guests will enter the Flaniermeile (promenade) with an uneasy feeling in their stomachs. Before Corona, it was different: Stomach complaints appeared only afterward.

But now, a "famous aerosol researcher" is exuding confidence and says that it's good to get people outside.

Now we're just waiting for the famous alcohol researcher to finally prove that the viral load in the throat drops with every sip of mulled wine.

Red Baron says, Prost! And keeps his fingers crossed.

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