Munich’s Christmas market has been cancelled for a second year row due to a significant rise in Covid-19 cases in Germany.
The “bitter news” was announced by the city’s mayor Dieter Reiter, who said he had been left with no choice but to call off the popular event.
The traditional Christmas market, which dates back to the 14th century, had been scheduled to run from November 22 to December 24, before reopening on December 27 and closing on January 9.
Based in the heart of the Bavarian capital, it usually attracts around three million people a year but the surge in the virus has led to the decision.
Reiter said: “It is bitter news that I have today for all Munich residents, and especially for the stall owners. However, the extreme situation in our hospitals and exponentially rising infection rates leave me no other choice: unfortunately, the Munich Christmas Market cannot take place this year.
“Anything else would cause an unjustifiable increase in the risk of infection and would send the wrong signal – especially to all the employees in our hospitals, who are working at their limits. It is now a matter of avoiding large gatherings of people as far as possible.
“The health authorities and the district administration have urgently advised against holding the Christmas Market. The pandemic officers of all Munich hospitals also unanimously warned against holding the market and pointed out the catastrophic situation in the hospitals.”
He added: “Unfortunately, despite the possibility of vaccinations, we are currently far from this normality, partly because not enough people have been vaccinated yet.”
Germany’s Christmas markets, suspended last year due to the pandemic, must now comply with strict safety rules that vary from state to state and are constantly changing.
There are growing doubts over whether Christmas markets should be held at all this year as infections increase and hospital wards fill up.
The German parlament is voting today on new measures to slow the rate of Covid infections in the country.