Hamburg eases restrictions

6 May 2020

Diverse facilities gradually reopening

Playgrounds, museums, zoos and drive-in cinemas in Hamburg are reopening on Wednesday (May 6, 2020) after the Ministry for Health issued a decree on relaxing the corona-induced restrictions. Certain outdoor sports are now possible provided people adhere to social distancing and health precautions. Churches can also reopen under certain conditions and the number of mourners allowed funerals has also been increased. The measures mark the fourth amendment to the Hamburg SARS-CoV-2 Containment Ordinance in place until May 31, 2020.

Social life gradually returning

Under an agreement reached between the prime ministers of the states and Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel last week, each state decides on how to ease the restrictions in their respective area. Families in Hamburg can visit playgrounds between 7 am and 8 pm. Museums, zoos, exhibition galleries are also open to visitors again.

Education centres may reopen

Public and private education centres can now hold courses again e.g. basic and further training for recognised training professions, integration courses as well as language courses. No more than 15 persons can attend lessons simultaneously and 25 per cent maximum of enrolled students can be in the building at once. Groups cannot be mixed and a minimum distance of 1.5 metres must be maintained at all times.

Outdoor sports

Individual outdoor sports can recommence provided people remain at least 1.5 metres apart at all times. Sports providers have been urged to take technical and organisational precautions to lower the the risk of infection. However, gym goers and athletes will have to be patient as restrictions on using changing rooms, club rooms, showers and bathrooms have not been lifted yet. Competitions are also banned for the moment. The text of Hamburg’s SARS-CoV-2 Containment Ordinance can be found on at www.hamburg.de.

js/kk/pb