Germany’s beer capital Munich to ban alcohol if cases rise
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The German city of Munich will limit alcohol sales and ban late-night public consumption should coronavirus infection rates reach a certain threshold, authorities announced.
If the number of confirmed infections per 100,000 residents rise above 35 over a seven-day period, alcohol sales would be prohibited after 9:00 p.m. and its consumption in public would be prohibited after 11:00 p.m..
Munich is known around the world as a haven for beer lovers. It hosts the annual Oktoberfest beer festival, which was called off this year due to coronavirus concerns.
Beer mugs of frequenters of the Paulaner Nockherberg Restaurant are locked in safes in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. EPA-EFE/LUKAS BARTH-TUTTAS
“The decision was difficult for us all,” said Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter, a Social Democrat. “But in times of a pandemic, it is first and foremost a matter of protecting the population and avoiding, as far as possible, even more burdensome measures.”
Drinking in public spaces is legal in Germany and is common throughout the country during times of warmer weather. The practice has grown particularly popular during the coronavirus pandemic, and a number of parks and squares in central Munich have seen large crowds during the summer.
