Friday 10, March
On Friday, there were 449 new Covid-19 infections reported in Berlin. The seven-day incidence currently stands at 34.9 cases per 100,000 people.
Swimming topless now allowed for everyone in Berlin pools
Last summer, a Berlin woman was expelled from a public swimming pool when she refused to cover her breasts after being asked to do so by the supervisory staff. But was this fair? Men are allowed to go swimming topless, so why wasn’t she? Following that incident, the woman took the swimming pool to court with a discrimination complaint which has now been upheld by Berlin courts. From now on, all public Berlin swimming pools will allow topless bathing for everyone.
In the past, official pool rules did not actually make a distinction by gender, only stating that visitors should wear “commercial swimwear” – but the staff has understood these rules to mean that female toplessness was prohibited. Doris Liebscher, head of the ombudsman’s office for equal treatment, welcomed the decision, stating that “it creates equal rights for all Berliners, whether male, female or non-binary” and would ensure “legal certainty” for swimming pool staff.