Prost! Bavaria opens some of its famous beer gardens again

<p>MUNICH &mdash; Bavarians were able to enjoy a tall beer in the spring sun Monday in several areas, as some outdoor beer gardens reopened in the southern German state.</p>
<p>Bavaria had an overall seven-day average rate of increase of 119.5 new cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people, but areas below 100 cases per 100,000 were allowed to reopen their iconic beer gardens. </p>
<p>In places like Inning, on the western outskirts of Munich, people were again drinking beer lakeside on the Ammersee and gazing at the picturesque Alps in the distance.</p>
<p>Beer gardens in Munich are not yet open, but preparations were being made for them to again start serving customers on Wednesday. </p>
<p>Overall, Germany has reported 3.5 million cases of COVID-19 with nearly 85,000 deaths.</p>
<p>Under the new guidelines in Bavaria, it takes about a week for a region to be able to reopen outdoor dining and drinking areas. More than a dozen areas have already gotten the go-ahead. </p>
<p>Yet even when allowed to reopen, patrons must obey strict mask-wearing and social distancing regulations.</p>
<p>The improvement in Germany’s virus situation came too late for Bavaria’s beloved Oktoberfest celebrations this year. The festivities were canceled for a second year in a row due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19 during a global pandemic. Oktoberfest typically attracts about 6 million visitors from around the world.</p>
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