Among five- to nine-year-olds, there were 54 new cases in the same period, giving an incidence of 340.4. The group of 15- to 19-year-olds is similarly affected: Here, the infection has been detected in 58 girls and boys. Their incidence was thus 347.6 on Wednesday, while the average value for all of Bonn rose to 138.9. "Since the delta variant is widespread, all household members of a person who tests positive are usually infected," explained deputy city spokesman Marc Hoffmann. "Unfortunately, the city finds that infected individuals are reluctant to provide contact information, which makes follow-up much more difficult."

From the schools where regular testing takes place, the city reported 35 confirmed infections by Tuesday afternoon in response to a GA query. In addition, there were "numerous positive rapid tests whose confirmation is still pending," Hoffmann said. At elementary schools, 13 pool tests have been positive so far, he said. In these so-called lollipop tests, the children take swabs in their mouths, which are subjected to PCR testing as an anonymous pooled sample. If that is positive, individual PCR tests follow to find those infected in the class.

After the tests at the Bonn schools, "at least 120 contacts" are in quarantine as of Tuesday, Hoffmann further reported. "Contact lists are not yet available from some schools." Under the new NRW Corona Protection Ordinance, the entire class no longer goes into quarantine if an infection occurs, but only the seat neighbors (right, left, back, front) and other close contacts during encounters in the school cafeteria, during physical education classes or in all-day care - if they can be identified. At one Tannenbusch elementary school, as reported, one class had to go into isolation almost completely. But that seems to be the exception. "In some cases, children are sitting at group tables where the minimum spacing is not met," Hoffmann explained. "Here, all the students at the group table are in quarantine."

At the Duisdorf Helmholtz High School alone, there have been four confirmed infections since the start of the school year; eight children have had to go into 14-day isolation, which cannot be shortened. "The quarantine is determined by the health department in case of doubt," said school principal Dorothee von Hoerschelmann. "So far, it has been sufficient for seatmates." The affected students received distance learning, Hoerschelmann said.

Also registering four infections through Wednesday was the Gertrud-Bäumer-Realschule in Bad Godesberg. No one had to be quarantined there, Daniela Römmler reported. "So far, the new guidelines are working well," the principal states. “However, maintaining and updating all seating plans for all classes is a time-consuming matter." The school cafeteria will remain closed for now. "The administrative work involved with changing seating assignments and recording them is beyond our staff capacity," Römmler said. When infection numbers drop, he said, the cafeteria will reopen. At the Helmholtz Gymnasium, on the other hand, the lunch service is up and running - with regulated time, windows and fixed class and seating arrangements. "Masks are mandatory when moving around the room. That's working well so far," explained principal Hoerschelmann.

The situation is similar at the Beuel Integrated Comprehensive School. There, according to principal Rainer Winand, there have been "individual cases of infection" since the end of the vacations and also no quarantine yet. The students have to order hot food online, and they eat in the cafeteria one class at a time in fixed seating groups. The health department does not specify how schools are to ensure traceability in cafeterias. Nor does it review the schools' hygiene concepts. "There are no personnel options for this," Hoffmann admitted.

The complete responsibility for the contact registration lies thus with the school. IGS head Winand, like his colleagues in Duisdorf and Godesberg, also believes that the new quarantine rules can be implemented. "The question, however, is how sensible it is," the principal objected. "Our students spend an hour at lunch without masks on our extensive grounds. We can't control that at all." If students need to be quarantined, they would be provided with digital materials via the school cloud and could watch classes via video cameras, Winand said. If necessary, he said, the school is also prepared for a return to distance learning. "But I assume that there will be no more complete closures.“

Rolf Haßelkus from the city association of the Education and Science Union (GEW) also hopes so. He says the GEW is in favor of face-to-face teaching - but with the necessary security for the children. The teacher sees the current situation as a "dangerous game with many unknowns.

In contrast, Thomas Braunsfeld, the head of the Collegium Josephinum high school, is optimistic. Until Tuesday, he had no infection to report in his own house. The school has had fixed seating plans for months, he said, and almost all rooms have ventilation systems. "We'll get it done," Braunsfeld assured. "Even if the organizational stuff ties up a lot of manpower."

Original text: Andreas Baumann

Translation: Mareike Graepel