Although the city explicitly appealed to the citizens to adhere to the AHA rules, there was again a lot going on in Würzburg last weekend. The sunny, spring-like weather again drew countless walkers to popular places such as the Mainkai, the Alte Mainbrücke or the former state horticultural show on Hubland. Contact restrictions or the mask requirement on the Alte Mainbrücke were ignored by many passers-by. But how can this be prevented?
In Düsseldorf, a so-called no-stay ban has been in effect for the old town and the nearby banks of the Rhine since Friday afternoon. It is forbidden to stand or sit down on weekends until March 14th. Can the city of Würzburg also envisage this for the banks of the Main? We asked around.
City spokesman: A stay ban can meet with considerable resistance
The city is aware of the problem. “The banks of the Main in the Zellerau, on the Alten Kranen, along the Kranen- and Mainkai up to the level of Sanderau, and even up to the Graf-Luckner-Weiher were again heavily frequented,” said Georg Wagenbrenner, press spokesman for the city of Würzburg, last weekend. Many of the passers-by are careful, some “unfortunately far too carefree and obviously not only hungry for the sun, but also corona tired.” Nevertheless, a stay ban like in Düsseldorf is currently out of the question for the city.
A look at Düsseldorf shows that a stay ban can also meet with considerable resistance. Implementation and control pose challenges, says Wagenbrenner. However, because one does not know how the incidence number and also the proportion of mutations will develop, the city will continue to monitor the experiences Düsseldorf has made with the residence ban in the coming weeks.
Second double patrol will be used
The city reacts, however, with another immediate measure: At the weekend, the municipal security service will deploy a second double patrol, said Wagenbrenner. This will be the control clock on the Old Main Bridge ?? also in coordination with the police? once again increased.
When asked why there is no permanent presence of the municipal security service, especially on the Alte Mainbrücke, Wagenbrenner refers to the aspect of disproportionality, “because here administrative offenses are controlled and not criminal offenses.” The KOD must fulfill a variety of tasks even in times of pandemic. Wagenbrenner cites stationary traffic or cleanliness in the city as examples. “None of these tasks can be completely given up for the Alte Mainbrücke.”
Controls: The focus was on education and awareness-raising
As the Würzburg police announced when asked, the Würzburg hotspots are known and one has to keep an eye on them. There were violations of the Corona rules until Sunday noon on the LGS site at Hubland as well as one on the Old Main Bridge. Unfortunately, one cannot be everywhere at the same time, it is said from the police inspection.
The municipal security service also carried out controls again last weekend. As Georg Wagenbrenner reports, the Old Main Bridge was “regularly” crossed and patrolled on Friday and Saturday, “whereby the focus was on education and awareness-raising”. In a total of four focus actions on the two days, twelve violations of the obligation to wear a face mask were reported on the bridge.
According to Wagenbrenner, regular checks on the Old Main Bridge were also carried out on Sunday from early noon until late in the afternoon. During a focus check in the afternoon, 16 violations were reported.
However, several walkers reported to this editorial office that far more passers-by had stood on the Old Main Bridge without a mask. That was also the impression of some members of the editorial team. “Our patrols are always uniformed and of course controls / warnings are always noticed by those in the immediate vicinity,” explains Wagenbrenner. This sensitizing effect, as well as the education of innocent strollers, are part of the action plan. “We want to effectively promote understanding for our city law and enforce it as efficiently as possible.”
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