For science: Berlin ravers dance according to pandemic rules

When is life returning to the Berlin club scene? The first tests are underway. –
4 hours ago

Berlin Dozens of people armed with a tracker and masks party together to techno beats at the Berlin club “Ravier Sudost” on Sunday afternoon. The test run was part of the “open air” pilot project, which aims to test how it is possible to dance safely in the open air during the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s going great so far,” a spokesman for the club said on Sunday, trying it out. Wearing a mask is accepted on the dance floor. In other areas of the club, the mouth and nose protection may also be removed.

The pilot project took place at the new location of the Technoclub Grismühle in the Niederschönweid district. This is the second club pilot of the year. It is organized in conjunction with Alice Salomon University, Beuth University of Technology and the Club Commission. 300 volunteer dancers can participate in the lottery. Everyone who wanted to dance had to either be tested, vaccinated or cured. A club spokesman said that ten days after the party, everyone should be tested again.

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The organizers have big plans for the project: a concept must be created that is a guideline for both the officials and the clubs. Professor Claudia Winkelmann of Alice Salomon University said that at present there is nothing like this in Germany. In Berlin, organized dancing outside is still prohibited by pandemic regulation. Over the weekend, police cleared parks in the capital as residents complained of loud music and ravens making little distance at illegal parties. Other cities of Germany also faced such problems when the weather was good.

During the pilot tests at Technoclub, everything went differently. At the entrance on Sunday afternoon, the guests were given a tracker that they were to wear around their neck. In this way, the chips can measure the distance between them, explained Professor Thomas Sachschevsky of Beauth University. Observers stationed on the dance floor assessed whether the guests and staff were following the rules. Club manager David Cesar Ciura said guests were allowed to dance on the dance floor regardless of distance. However, wearing a mask was an obligation.

Data collected anonymously should be evaluated at participating Berlin universities as soon as possible. “Ravier Südost” is located on the site of the former Barnaquel brewery. Before that, the club was located more centrally in the Grismühle Neukölln.