A cafe in Germany has taken to using pool noodle hats to make sure its customers are respecting the social distance measures.
Café & Konditorei Rothe in Schwerin, the northeastern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, found a creative solution to keep people apart when it reopened.
The cafe did not use floor markings to indicate the necessary distance, but decided to distribute straw hats with colourful swimming noodles attached. "This was the perfect method to keep customers apart -- and a fun one," Jaqueline Rothe, the owner, told local TV company RTL.
"It was a perfect gag and of course it was funny, our customers were really into it. But it did show us how difficult it is to keep a distance of 1.5 metres," she added.
Usually, the cafe has 56 tables, of which 20 outside, when the weather allows it, according to Rothe. During Germany's shutdown, the cafe remained open, but was not allowed to serve customers inside.
"With the new hygiene and social distancing measures, we only have 12 tables inside and only eight outside," she said, adding that it is using less than half of its seating capacity.
As of 20 May, Germany has recorded a total of 177,842 confirmed coronavirus cases, with 8,112 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
