Berlin clubs forced to reduce capacity to 50%, rise in Covid-19 cases

Covid-19 cases in Germany have reached an all-time high, forcing Berlin clubs to reduce capacity to 50% from this weekend.

This new restriction is referred to as the ‘2G Plus’ rule, which means that if you’re fully vaccinated against Covid-19, or if you’ve recently recovered from the virus, you’ll need to present a negative test result to enter a venue or nightclub. It doesn’t come at a good time; only days ago, the state of Bavaria enforced a 3-week lockdown for nightclubs.

Germany’s vaccination rate is below average in comparison to Western Europe; it’s not surprising that cases are skyrocketing amongst many who are unvaccinated. Germany’s Acting Health Minister Jens Spahn earlier this week urged citizens to go and get vaccinated, warning that by the end of winter, people will either be ‘vaccinated, cured or dead’. This statement comes as the government is considering a full lockdown of the country, and even mandatory vaccinations.

The music and events industry have copped much of the blame for the rise in cases; Club Commission issued a statement in response to this, saying that venues had been portrayed in a negative light:

“On closer inspection, the accusation that clubs are corona hotspots seems grotesque. This autumn the club culture was only able to reopen if all hygiene standards were observed that the pandemic situation has to offer. No other place fulfils its duty of attendance documentation as conscientiously as that of nightlife. While retail appears to be safe, there is no check-in option at all. In other areas of public life, too, check-ins are not a prerequisite or are not or only insufficiently checked. A spurious correlation is created in which the reality of infections is traced back to places because these enable consistent and predominantly digital attendance documentation.”

You can read the full statement here.

The government is under immense pressure to keep this virus under control; Berlin and Germany are struggling to grasp Covid-19.

Image Credit: Gästeliste030