Göttingen
Closing off a block of flats due to Corona was not permitted
Police officers stand in front of a quarantined residential building in downtown Göttingen in June 2020. photo
© Swen Pförtner/dpa
During the peak phase of the 2020 pandemic, a block of apartments in Göttingen was sealed off due to a corona outbreak – wrongly, as a court has now found. What this means for the future.
The closure of an apartment block in Göttingen due to a corona outbreak in June 2020 was unlawful. The Göttingen Administrative Court decided this on Thursday after residents of the building filed a lawsuit. The verdict can be appealed.
“There are no immediate consequences as a result of the verdict,” said a court spokesman on Friday. For similar cases in the future, there is now clarity about what is permitted. In addition, the judgment could be a basis for claims for damages.
The lawsuit was not directed against the fact that the residents had to isolate themselves for seven days because of the infection, explained the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Sven Adam, on Thursday. The reason was the fencing and police surveillance of the complex for several days.
“The order initially did not contain any exceptions or the possibility of leaving the complex by proving negative corona tests,” said Adam. The infection process only requires such drastic measures if people resist a request to isolate themselves. This also requires a court order.