In order to slow down the spread of the virus, a number of measures were subsequently decided upon:
- Events and gatherings will be prohibited throughout Bavaria. Exceptions to this are private celebrations in privately used rooms suitable for this purpose, where all participants have a personal connection (family, job) to each other. Exceptional permissions can be granted on application by the responsible district administration authority, as far as this is justifiable in individual cases from the point of view of infection protection law. This applies from 17 March to 19 April 2020 inclusive.
- The operation of all facilities that do not serve necessary everyday activities but rather leisure activities is prohibited. These include in particular saunas and bathing facilities, cinemas, conference and event rooms, clubs, bars and discotheques, amusement arcades, theatres, club rooms, brothels, museums, guided city tours, sports halls, sports and playgrounds, fitness studios, libraries, wellness centres, thermal baths, dance schools, zoos, amusement parks, places of entertainment, further education and training facilities, adult education centres, music schools and youth centres. This applies from 17 March to 19 April 2020 inclusive.
- All types of catering establishments are prohibited. Exceptions to this rule are company canteens, restaurants and cafeterias, and establishments where food is predominantly delivered for consumption on site between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. Also excluded is the handing over of take-away food or delivery; this is permissible at any time. It must be ensured that the distance between guests is at least 1.5 metres and that there are no more than 30 people in the rooms. Hotels are further excluded, if only overnight guests are served. This applies from 18 March to 30 March 2020 inclusive.
- The opening of retail shops of any kind is prohibited. This does not apply to food retailers, beverage markets, banks, pharmacies, drugstores, medical supply stores, opticians, hearing aid acousticians, Deutsche Post AG branches, pet supplies, DIY stores and garden centres, petrol stations, car repair shops, dry cleaners and online trading. On application, the responsible district administrative authorities may grant exemptions for other businesses that are absolutely necessary for the supply of the population, provided that this is justifiable in individual cases from the point of view of the infection protection law. The opening of shopping centres and department stores is only permitted for the exceptions mentioned in clause 4. This applies from 18 March up to and including 30 March 2020.
- If an opening is permitted in accordance with No. 4 for the supply of the population with existential goods, the opening hours are different from those of § 3 LadSchlG (Shop closing act):
- on working days from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- on Sundays and public holidays from 12:00 to 18:00.
- This applies from 18 March until 19 April 2020 inclusive.
- Please also note that, according to the statement of the press conference of 17.03.2020, overnight accommodation offers in Germany “may only be used for necessary, but not for tourist purposes”. We therefore recommend that you contact your booked accommodation immediately if you are planning a trip to Bavaria.
- For daily updates on the Coronavirus please also check the website of the Federal Ministry of Health as well as The Robert Koch Institute(Germany’s public health institute)
- The Bavarian State Office for Health and Food Safety (LGL) has set up a hotline for questions: +49 9131 6808 5101. The task force can also be reached by e-mail coronavirus@lgl.bayern.de.
Keep well!
