Status: 07/07/2021 5:54 p.m.
Openings of discos, in sports and also at public festivals – these are the new easing in NRW from Friday.
These are words that many people in North Rhine-Westphalia have been waiting for a long time: a “life like before Corona” is basically possible again and an “extensive return to normality”. Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU) announced this on Wednesday. Although he still restricted “with testing”. But the signal is clear: In NRW, many corona restrictions will be removed – and that as of Friday.
Incidence must be below ten
Then a new regulation of the country applies. And with it a new “incidence level 0” is introduced. According to the Ministry of Health, it applies if the seven-day incidence (number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants) was a maximum of ten for five days. In that case, far-reaching easing will apply in the municipalities:
- The Contact restrictions omitted.
- Compliance with the Minimum distance is largely only recommended.
- The Mask requirement only applies in areas that unvaccinated people have to use: buses and trains, taxis, medical practices or retail. In schools, too, the mask requirement continues to apply. In the museum, for example, a mask is no longer necessary.
- For example, if you go to a restaurant, you no longer have to have your own contact details leave.
- In shops it falls Limitation of the number of customers path.
Persian disco in Berlin
Image: dpa
Laumann also announced on Wednesday that a relaxation that many young people in particular have been waiting for. So in the “incidence level 0” Clubs and discos to open. That means, starting on Friday, you can celebrate again. The only restrictions: The contacts must be recorded and a negative test result is necessary for unvaccinated persons. The mask does not have to be worn.
Fun fair with tests
There are no longer any restrictions for private events such as weddings after testing. Also Folk or street festivals are theoretically possible again from Friday. The condition is that all unvaccinated visitors have a negative test. Of course, this cannot be checked at a fair without access control. According to Laumann, however, there should be “random checks”. The move was actually only planned for the end of August. It remains to be seen how quickly the organizers will react to this. Many big celebrations for this summer have already been canceled.
The sports sector can also look forward to relaxation. There are no longer any restrictions on exercising sport. Sports events are allowed with up to 25,000 spectators.
Limitations when the numbers rise again
NRW Minister of Health Karl-Josef Laumann
Image: Jonas Güttler / dpa
Laumann described the opening steps as “fully” and “responsible in every respect”. The number of new infections is low and there are few serious cases of illness in the hospitals. Should a municipality come over the incidence threshold of 10 again, there would be restrictions again. “We are not through the pandemic, but we have a good situation in most regions of North Rhine-Westphalia at the moment. We can return freedoms. But if it changes, restrictions will automatically become necessary again,” said Laumann.
In the future, there will be a compulsory test for people returning to work at work. For example, anyone who was on vacation for five days or more or was absent from work for other reasons after July 1st must present a negative rapid test on the first day of their return. As always, exceptions apply to vaccinated persons and genesis.
Source: wdr.de