They passed calmly and without any major violations. In the Gamsstadt, which is overcrowded in normal times, only a few visitors cavorted in view of the only 1,000 admitted spectators. There were no après-ski parties like those around Runtastic founder Florian Gschwandtner. In 1,000 person checks and 111 company checks, 42 reports were filed.
Of the 42 administrative notifications, 14 are attributable to the owners of the catering establishments themselves, 25 to local visitors and three to people who did not comply with the mask requirement outdoors, said Kitzbühel district police commander Martin Reisenzein to the APA. It stayed with minor Covid violations such as exceeding the curfew, not complying with the obligation to wear a mask, standing at the bar and consuming while standing. According to Reisenzein, there were almost no security police operations, such as major intervention due to a brawl or the like.
Where crowds of fans thronged on normal Hahnenkamm weekends, this year there was only an extremely modest crowd. Only a few people roamed the streets of Kitzbühel’s city center, even in the evenings. “There was a lot more going on at Christmas time,” said the district police commander.
In any case, the police presence was considerable: 190 officers were deployed from Friday to Sunday. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) also spoke up by broadcast and thanked the police officers. They would have ensured a “safe course of the races, but also compliance with the necessary restrictions”. In any case, most of the visitors to the races adhered to the measures and showed understanding for the corona controls, according to the Ministry of the Interior.
Tyrol’s governor Günther Platter (ÖVP) spoke of a “highly professional and well-organized Hahnenkamm weekend” – despite the difficult general conditions due to the pandemic and the adverse weather conditions. Platter thanked the Kitzbühel ski club, the many helpers along the route and Kitzbühel’s mayor Klaus Winkler, who worked with the authorities and emergency services to ensure compliance with the Corona rules. “We are already looking forward to the 2023 races, then hopefully like in the old days without any corona restrictions,” said the country manager in a broadcast.
Authorities and the police had announced strict controls in the run-up to the races to prevent parties. Police officers would swarm out in the city every day to “nip possible excesses in the bud and give the isolated ‘black sheep’ no opportunity to celebrate unauthorized parties,” the state of Tyrol had said. Last weekend and at the beginning of the week, a video made headlines by Runtastic founder Gschwandtner in a bar and then posted by him on social media. The entrepreneur had celebrated there. It showed how the guests without masks at the bar and sometimes dancing on tables had après ski. The host finally closed the restaurant after criticism.
Because of the comparatively high seven-day incidence in the Kitzbühel district – on Sunday it was 3,352.1 – the measures had been significantly tightened locally in advance. For example, an FFP2 mask requirement outdoors was introduced in the city center, even if the two-meter distance can be maintained. Most recently, the outdoor gastronomy was also closed for a week from Wednesday. In addition, the Hahnenkammbahn was suspended on the evenings of the race weekend.
Source: Nachrichten
