UPDATE (March 11, 16:36 GMT): Following the decision to ban mass cultural gatherings of over 1000 people in Berlin, Berghain has announced the cancellation of all events at the venue until April 20. No further clubs or venues in the city, aside from Trauma Bar und Kino which announced a postponement of all March events on March 10, has yet responded to the new measures in Berlin.
"On occasion of the current health situation and in the best interest of our staff, artists and guests, all previously announced self-produced club events in Berghain, Panorama Bar and Säule are being discontinued as a precaution until April 20, 2020," reads a statement on the club’s website.
Berlin has become the latest German state to cancel large cultural events in a bid to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, AKA COVID-19.
The measure, which affects the city’s theatres, operas and concert houses that carry a capacity of 1000 or more, will come into place from tomorrow (March 11) and continue until April 19 at least, authorities in the city said. Organisers of shows in Berlin venues that hold up to 500 people should decide individually for now if their events will go ahead.
It’s not yet known how this measure might affect Berlin’s clubs and gig venues, though one club, Trauma Bar und Kino, announced today that it would close until the end of March. All events due to take place at the venue in that period have been postponed.
It was recently officially confirmed that one person infected 16 others at Berlin’s Trompete nightclub in late February. As Al Jazeera reports, that incident accounts for almost one-third of the city’s total confirmed cases.
German Health Minister Jens Spahn suggested over the weekend that all events involving more than 1000 people across Germany should be cancelled until further notice. Coronavirus cases in the country have now topped 1,200, including three deaths.
For more on how the spread of COVID-19 is affecting the worldwide music scene, including news that SXSW’s cancellation has resulted in major layoffs of its year-round staff, click here.
