(Credit: Wilfried Hösl)

The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced that it will reimpose the mandatory wearing of face masks during performances at the opera house, due to the soaring number of COVID-19 cases.

“Due to the renewed exceeding of the threshold value for new COVID-19 infections in Munich, a face mask is required again during our performances,” said the Bayerische Staatsoper in an official statement.

Prior to the beginning of the 2020-21 season, the Bayerische Staatsoper had unveiled a comprehensive safety plan for both the artists and the audiences. However, the recent developments in the number of European countries regarding the soaring number of COVID-19 cases forced the opera house to tighten safety rules.

Germany currently has 333,000 COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, with a peak of 4,721 new daily cases reached on Oct. 10, 2020.