11.11. will be celebrated in attendance again. However, in the carnival strongholds, this only applies to those who have been vaccinated and recovered – and a corona case in Cologne changes plans at short notice.
Cologne / Düsseldorf – Despite the sharp rise in corona incidences, the new carnival season is set to open today at 11.11 a.m. with thousands of celebrants.
The 2G rule applies in the strongholds of Cologne and Düsseldorf: Only those who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered have access to the closed party zones under the open sky. A negative corona test is not enough.
A year ago it was on 11.11. nothing was going on for the first time in decades. Due to the pandemic, it was “a completely normal weekday”, as Cologne mayor Henriette Reker (non-party) put it. This year it is different because a large part of the population is vaccinated.
Carnival prince has Corona
A positive corona test with the designated Cologne Carnival Prince shows that this does not necessarily protect against infection: As a result, the beginning of the carnival must be celebrated there without a triumvirate. Despite the double vaccination, Sven Oleff tested positive for the virus, even if the infection has so far been symptom-free, announced the Cologne Carnival Festival Committee on Wednesday evening. Bauer and Jungfrau were tested negative by PCR test. Because the jecke trio had met several times in the past few days, all public appearances of the triumvirate were canceled in the coming days, it said.
The number of infections has risen sharply again in the past few weeks. That is why the 2G rule applies both to the “Hoppeditz awakening” on Rathausplatz in Düsseldorf and in the cordoned-off areas in Cologne’s old town and in the Zülpich district.
How big the rush will be there is unclear. In any case, the Cologne police want to show their presence and are deployed with 1,000 officers. 11.11. is traditionally big celebrations, especially in Cologne. Before Corona, hundreds of thousands came to the city that day.
Indoor carnival
This year, only immunized people are allowed to take part in indoor carnival celebrations in Cologne: celebrants must show a vaccination or convalescent ID before entering. If people romp around in a pub without 2G proof, the operator threatens consequences up to and including the temporary closure of the company.
The SPD politician and health expert Karl Lauterbach has nevertheless advised against indoor carnival celebrations. “The carnival can become a super-spreader event,” Lauterbach told the German press agency on Monday. Even with the 2G rule, indoor events are a “huge danger”. Because meanwhile the vaccination protection of many people is decreasing. “That is why every canceled carnival event indoors is a good event,” said Lauterbach.
The Cologne carnival president Christoph Kuckelkorn, on the other hand, said last week that he was expecting a largely full carnival season. Many people were happy that it was finally starting again. “After all the privations of the Corona period, especially the human privations – the lack of community experiences, including physical closeness – they have a very strong need to celebrate Carnival with all their might,” said Kuckelkorn. dpa
