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| Oberammergau Passion Play Canceled as Coronavirus Locks Down Germany | Oberammergau Passion Play Canceled as Coronavirus Locks Down Germany |
| (2 months later) | |
| In 1633, as the plague swept Europe, the villagers of Oberammergau prayed to God. They promised to perform the story of Jesus’s Passion — his life, death and resurrection — every 10 years, as long as God spared them from the horrors of the disease. | In 1633, as the plague swept Europe, the villagers of Oberammergau prayed to God. They promised to perform the story of Jesus’s Passion — his life, death and resurrection — every 10 years, as long as God spared them from the horrors of the disease. |
| Since then, the people of Oberammergau, in what is now Germany, have largely kept up their end of the bargain. | Since then, the people of Oberammergau, in what is now Germany, have largely kept up their end of the bargain. |
| But, on Thursday, the organizers of the play — which has a cast of some 2,500 and can feature 900 people onstage at once — announced they were canceling this year’s edition, because of the coronavirus pandemic. | But, on Thursday, the organizers of the play — which has a cast of some 2,500 and can feature 900 people onstage at once — announced they were canceling this year’s edition, because of the coronavirus pandemic. |
| The first of the 103 daylong performances had been scheduled for May 16. The production will be delayed until 2022, the organizers said in a statement. | The first of the 103 daylong performances had been scheduled for May 16. The production will be delayed until 2022, the organizers said in a statement. |
| Germany is on lockdown because of the virus, with large gatherings banned. On Wednesday, Chancellor Angela Merkel used a televised address to plead with people to obey restrictions and self-isolate. | Germany is on lockdown because of the virus, with large gatherings banned. On Wednesday, Chancellor Angela Merkel used a televised address to plead with people to obey restrictions and self-isolate. |
| “This is serious,” Ms. Merkel said. “Take it seriously. Since German reunification — no, since World War II — our country has never faced a challenge where we depended so much on our collective actions and solidarity.” | “This is serious,” Ms. Merkel said. “Take it seriously. Since German reunification — no, since World War II — our country has never faced a challenge where we depended so much on our collective actions and solidarity.” |
| Each performance of the Passion Play would have been watched by around 4,500 people, many of whom would have traveled to Germany especially for the event. Organizers said in the statement that the decision was taken with the local health authorities, who decided that, even if Germany’s restrictions on large-scale gatherings were lifted by May, there would still be “a high risk of recurrent infections over a long period of time.” | Each performance of the Passion Play would have been watched by around 4,500 people, many of whom would have traveled to Germany especially for the event. Organizers said in the statement that the decision was taken with the local health authorities, who decided that, even if Germany’s restrictions on large-scale gatherings were lifted by May, there would still be “a high risk of recurrent infections over a long period of time.” |
| “At this stage, it can be clearly predicted that an event on the scale of the Passion Play is not feasible,” the health department of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the local authority, said in the statement. “The risk is too high that new chains of infection will develop,” it added. | “At this stage, it can be clearly predicted that an event on the scale of the Passion Play is not feasible,” the health department of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the local authority, said in the statement. “The risk is too high that new chains of infection will develop,” it added. |
| This is not the first time an edition of the Passion Play has been canceled. In 1770, Elector Maximilian III, then Duke of Bavaria, banned all passion plays, as part of a drive against extravagance. | This is not the first time an edition of the Passion Play has been canceled. In 1770, Elector Maximilian III, then Duke of Bavaria, banned all passion plays, as part of a drive against extravagance. |
| Eight years later, a new ruler exempted Oberammergau from the ban, after it was “cleansed of all unsuitable improprieties,” according to the Passion Play’s website. After a thorough review, the villagers were given the go-ahead to stage the play in 1780. | Eight years later, a new ruler exempted Oberammergau from the ban, after it was “cleansed of all unsuitable improprieties,” according to the Passion Play’s website. After a thorough review, the villagers were given the go-ahead to stage the play in 1780. |
| Updated May 28, 2020 | |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | |
| More than 40 million people — the equivalent of 1 in 4 U.S. workers — have filed for unemployment benefits since the pandemic took hold. One in five who were working in February reported losing a job or being furloughed in March or the beginning of April, data from a Federal Reserve survey released on May 14 showed, and that pain was highly concentrated among low earners. Fully 39 percent of former workers living in a household earning $40,000 or less lost work, compared with 13 percent in those making more than $100,000, a Fed official said. | |
| There is an uptick in people reporting symptoms of chilblains, which are painful red or purple lesions that typically appear in the winter on fingers or toes. The lesions are emerging as yet another symptom of infection with the new coronavirus. Chilblains are caused by inflammation in small blood vessels in reaction to cold or damp conditions, but they are usually common in the coldest winter months. Federal health officials do not include toe lesions in the list of coronavirus symptoms, but some dermatologists are pushing for a change, saying so-called Covid toe should be sufficient grounds for testing. | |
| Yes, but make sure you keep six feet of distance between you and people who don’t live in your home. Even if you just hang out in a park, rather than go for a jog or a walk, getting some fresh air, and hopefully sunshine, is a good idea. | |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | |
| Charity Navigator, which evaluates charities using a numbers-based system, has a running list of nonprofits working in communities affected by the outbreak. You can give blood through the American Red Cross, and World Central Kitchen has stepped in to distribute meals in major cities. | |
| The 1920 edition was canceled because the village lost many musicians and actors in World War I, although the villagers voted to stage it again in 1922. In 1940, during World War II, the play was canceled entirely. Organizers began preparing for a 1947 edition, but this was called off over concerns about feeding and accommodating so many visitors during a period of postwar reconstruction. | The 1920 edition was canceled because the village lost many musicians and actors in World War I, although the villagers voted to stage it again in 1922. In 1940, during World War II, the play was canceled entirely. Organizers began preparing for a 1947 edition, but this was called off over concerns about feeding and accommodating so many visitors during a period of postwar reconstruction. |
| The cancellation is only the latest major European cultural event to fall victim to the pandemic this week. On Wednesday, the Eurovision Song Contest was canceled, as was the Glastonbury Music Festival. | The cancellation is only the latest major European cultural event to fall victim to the pandemic this week. On Wednesday, the Eurovision Song Contest was canceled, as was the Glastonbury Music Festival. |