The other day TSV 1860 Munich lost 2-0 at home to Zwickau. The corona measures in the Grünwalder Stadium were much more exciting than the game. The fans had to show their vaccination certificates beforehand, then they got blue ribbons stuck around their wrists. Because the tickets were also personalized, everyone also had to identify themselves at the entrance. In front of the west curve, this meant that at least 1,000 people crowded close to the entrance – without masks. Those who finally made it into the stadium were informed by stewards that a mask was required on the way to the stands. The masks were then allowed to be removed again, of all places, where everyone was screaming at one another.
This is just one of many absurd examples of how the corona measures are handled in Bavaria. Meaningful regulations have turned into grotesque rituals without any use whatsoever. At the weekend, hikers had to put on masks at the door of a mountain hut just to walk two meters to the table where they could be put down. Nobody checked in. A Tölz inn, on the other hand, looked as homely as an isolation ward: in the three-meter-long corridor, the walkways were separated with a partition wall and signs, and inside the guest room a world of plexiglass compartments and air purifiers opened up. The waitress inquired about the vaccination status, and all guests registered properly. Now one could argue that Plexiglas barriers in no way stop the spread of coronaviruses, but may even promote it, as they did recently New York Times reported. On the other hand: In the confusion of the editions, it no longer plays a role.
Because a large part of the population has now been vaccinated or recovered and the situation in the hospitals remains relaxed, discipline is crumbling anyway. The further you go out into the country, the less corona measures seem to still apply. This shows the limits of government action: If nobody adheres to them anymore, even the most beautiful regulation is of no use. People, it seems, have to assess for themselves which risks they want to take when and where. One can only hope that it will go well.