Munich, Jan. 11, (dpa/GNA) – Police in Germany struggled to enforce the country’s coronavirus regulations on Sunday as people headed outside, drawn by the appeal of snow and sunshine.
Police in Munich cleared crowds at the city’s Nymphenburg canal, which froze over with a thin layer of ice. One adult and a child fell through but were unharmed, according to a police spokesperson.
The police had called on residents to avoid the site near the Nymphenburg Palace, as there were already too many skaters and curling fans who failed to follow social distancing guidelines.
They cordoned off the area during the afternoon.
Despite similar pleas to avoid gatherings throughout Bavaria, people headed out to the state’s most popular sites, crowding at Ochsenkopf in the Fichtel Mountains and Spitzingsee, a mountain lake, to ski, skate, hike or go tobogganing.
For many, it seemed like a last chance to enjoy the mountains before new restrictions enter force on Monday in areas where case numbers are particularly high.
Residents will only be able to travel a maximum of 15 kilometres from their homes unless they can prove their trip is necessary.
Bavaria’s Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said increased controls would be in place, and anyone breaking the regulations would face a 500-euro (611-dollar) fine.
The rule applies to towns and areas with more than 200 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants within the space of a week.
GNA