Germany leaves policy on sports events during the
coronavirus pandemic to the state governments, but there are calls for a more
unified approach.
Leipzig had the first top-division game of the season in an
empty stadium Sunday, losing 3-1 to Bayer Leverkusen, because its home eastern
state of Saxony has Germany’s highest infection rates. The day before, Cologne
was allowed 50,000 in attendance for its 4-1 win over local rival Borussia
Mönchengladbach.
Some other states have allowed crowds, but at sharply
reduced capacity. Around the country, entry is typically restricted to people
with proof of vaccination or proof they recently recovered from a coronavirus
infection.
Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen
Seibert, said it is “really hard to understand why 50,000 people are coming
together in a football stadium, even if it was approved,” at a time when
experts are saying that contacts need to be reduced.
“This inequality among the German states in the pandemic as
far as large events are concerned -- which doesn’t just affect sports, but other
big events -- is really unsatisfactory,” Interior Ministry spokesman Steve
Alter said. Outgoing Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has been saying for weeks
that it should be reduced, Alter added.
The varying approaches are “a sign for (Seehofer) that it
would perhaps make sense to react to this at the federal level,” Alter said.
The outgoing government is likely to leave office next week,
and Seehofer’s party will be going into opposition. The incoming coalition
hasn’t yet named a successor.
Some regional politicians go even further. Baden-Württemberg
governor Winfried Kretschmann indicated plans Monday to “massively restrict or
prohibit” large-scale sports events, in comments reported by the dpa agency.
Bremen’s interior minister Ulrich Mäurer last week suggested suspending the
soccer season completely.
European countries have taken starkly different approaches
to allowing crowds at sports events as winter begins and coronavirus cases
rise. The English Premier League has played in front of full houses all season
so far with no vaccination or testing requirements for fans. The Netherlands
moved to empty stadiums for sports events this month.
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