Corona easing in Darmstadt, not yet in Frankfurt

shut down

• Helen Schindler

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  Thomas Stillbauer

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  Jens Joachim

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While outdoor restaurants and museums are allowed to reopen in Darmstadt, the rules in Frankfurt remain strict. But that could change soon.

The planted wooden troughs in front of the historic town hall on the market square are currently not stingy with their splendor of colors: the flowers of the pansies shine in dark blue, yellow and purple. But behind the colorful troughs it still looks a bit bleak. Wooden tables are stacked in front of the Darmstadt Ratskeller. The surfaces of two tables lie on top of each other so that the table legs of the upper tables protrude. The brewery will not open its doors again until Thursday. “We look forward to your visit!” Is written on a piece of paper that is attached to a metal grille.

The two cafes next door also want to reopen, although outdoor dining in and around Darmstadt has been possible again since Monday under certain conditions. It was said that it was not possible to order and have enough goods and drinks delivered at such short notice.

In front of the Bormuth bakery, diagonally across from the town hall, some visitors can enjoy coffee and cake, a glass of beer or water on Monday lunchtime. They could either show a current negative corona test or prove that they either already have full vaccination protection or have recovered from Covid 19 disease.

A few steps further a red carpet has already been rolled out for customers in front of the Mosch Mosch noodle bar. Hungry guests have to register via the Luca app or with the help of a slip of paper before they can take a seat at one of the tables that are set on the cobblestones at a sufficient distance from each other.

In the Bavarian beer garden “Zum Scheinheilgen” in the northern part of the Bürgerpark, the employees of Alexander Pfaff and Nicole Feldmann were able to welcome some regular guests in the morning. Under open umbrellas, they were not impressed by a heavy rain shower and were served freshly made roulades or roast pork as well as freshly tapped beer.

“People just want to get out now,” Feldmann reports at noon. However, some guests had complained that they needed a negative corona test for a visit. If the seven-day incidence remained below 100 for 14 days, only one test recommendation would apply.

In addition to outdoor catering, the Darmstadt museums are also opening their doors to visitors again. From this Tuesday, May 18, the Museum Künstlerkolonie will be open again from Tuesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Via an online calendar at www. mathildenhoehe.eu or by calling 06151 / 13-3385 ​​a visit must be reserved in advance for a one-hour time slot. A medical mask must be worn during the entire stay in the museum. It is recommended to present a daily test. However, in contrast to restaurants, this is not an obligation.

Museums are also obliged to record the contact details of visitors. The contact data is recorded on site with the help of a QR code. “The data will be transmitted in compliance with data protection regulations and will be deleted on time,” writes the museum.

The Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt announced on Monday that it would not open again until Saturday, May 22nd. There, too, visits can only be made after booking an online time slot ticket at www. hlmd.de or after prior telephone registration from Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. under the number 06151/1657111.

Darmstadt’s Lord Mayor Jochen Partsch (Greens) said on Monday that the stable, low incidences, combined with the requirements of the state, now enable “relief that many have longed for”. However, “discipline is still necessary,” says Partsch.

While the first easing has already taken place in and around Darmstadt, these could soon also come into force in Frankfurt, where the seven-day incidence is still just above the threshold of 100.

If the trend continues in the coming days, openings could already be possible in the coming week. Kerstin Junghans, managing director of Dehoga Frankfurt, is basically happy about the opening perspective for the catering industry. “But the expectation has to be put into perspective because of the measures planned by the state government.” These presented the industry with major challenges. Starting up the machinery after such a long period of standstill is equivalent to opening a new one. A lot of staff has also migrated to other industries in the past few months, “the shortage of skilled workers will hit the industry all the more,” Langhans fears.

Checking negative test results or proof of vaccination also means additional work for the innkeeper. Langhans fears that the opening in phase 1, in which only outdoor catering can be used, will not pay off for many. “I assume that not all will open. Many say that opening up without indoor catering actually makes no sense for them. ”In any case, it must be ensured that financial aid continues to be paid by the state.

Frankfurt retailers have been able to offer Click & Collect again since last Friday, but a negative test is mandatory. “I think that the test is very deterrent for buying items that are not urgently needed,” says Joachim Stoll from the Hessen-Süd trade association. Not much is going on in the city center. “It’s still very quiet at the moment. We hope to Click & Meet without a test. Then the outdoor catering opens again and the city gets a little more lively. ”The retailers don’t have to prepare for this. “The processes with access registration have now been implemented on all sides.”

The Frankfurt Zoo does not assume that anything will change in the procedure this week: Visitors: inside can enter after prior registration and with a corona test. “We always have plans in the drawer in case we are allowed to loosen up,” says spokeswoman Caroline Liefke. “But the past has shown that the situation can change very quickly.” It would be a big step forward if people were allowed to come back without a test and go to some animal houses. “We’ll wait and see what the state government decides – then we’ll phone again.”

The situation in the palm garden is very similar. If the incidence continues to fall sharply, there will certainly be some relief, says spokesman Sebastian Klimek, “and it is foreseeable that we will be able to open the show houses again”. The palm garden team is currently working on the specific measures.

The Frankfurt museums also have the prospect of reopening. “We always get the information at very short notice, but we are prepared,” says Judith Jördens, spokeswoman for the Senckenberg Museum. Corresponding concepts are in place.

At the Städel there is “happy expectation of a reopening,” says spokeswoman Pamela Rhode. “We have a hygiene concept and offer the option of buying tickets in the online shop.” The team is currently working on completing everything. “We have now tried it out, this is already the third reopening.”

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