The demand for vaccinations against the coronavirus is steadily increasing in Bonn and the surrounding region. The city is responding by further expanding municipal services after they had been reduced over the course of the year. According to the authorities, the new inactivated Valneva vaccine is having little effect on the vaccination trend; people prefer to be injected with Biontech's vaccine, which has been adapted to the Omicron variant.

The vaccination centre in Bonn's Südstadt is one of the few that has specialised only in vaccination for many months. Thousands of people have now received their shots there, which makes the practice a good gauge the mood. They can respond quickly to increasing or decreasing demand, which is reflected in the online booking system.

"At the moment, demand for vaccination against Covid is much higher than it was in the summer," says Sandro Heinemann, who takes care of administration. But that was to be expected: "Firstly, because many people's protection is expiring, and secondly, because there’s a higher risk of infection in the winter months. That's why they now offer more appointments, including at weekends. "However, we ‘re not reaching the up to 800 vaccinations per day that we had at peak times in the Brückenforum office." Heinemann leaves open the possibility of moving there again if demand continues to rise.

The City of Bonn also confirms this development at the vaccination centre in the Stadthaus. "Demand has risen sharply since the adjusted BA.4/5 vaccine has become available," says Markus Schmitz from the press office. Staff and hours have already been increased and could be expanded. Currently, there are also more mobile vaccination campaigns. "Here, the focus is on the districts of Bonn, but the hard-to-reach group of people, such as the homeless or people with addictions, is also taken into account." In addition, the city of Bonn has commissioned the private provider "Meine.Klinik" to carry out vaccinations.

Last week, around 1800 vaccinations were administered in Bonn, of which just under 1600 were for the second booster vaccination. "First and second vaccinations play hardly any role", says an Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians North Rhine (KVNO) spokesperson, referring to the situation in the Rhineland. There are still many free appointments, the vaccination centres are not yet at full capacity. There is also currently no shortage of vaccine, which is now being distributed via pharmacies. "In contrast to the initial phase, things are really going very well now," Heinemann explains. Whatever is ordered is also reliably delivered, he adds.

Immunisation against flu and corona possible at the same time

You can definitely get your flu and Covid shot at the same time or, right after each other. But, according to the municipal health department. "The shots should be given on two different limbs - usually the right and left upper arm." Flu vaccination is not available at the city's vaccination centre, but only at general practitioners' offices.

(Original text: Nicolas Ottersbach)

More and more consumers are looking to renewable their energy sources to meet the rising electricity prices. Photovoltaic systems are particularly in demand and these can be found on many roofs in Bonn. "It’s primarily owners of single-family houses who are interested in having their own photovoltaic system," says Markus Dosch of the Bonn public utility company (SWB). Photovoltaics is the direct conversion of light energy, usually from sunlight, into electrical energy by means of solar cells. Solar systems, on the other hand, generate heat that can be used to support heating systems or to heat water. Electricity from photovoltaics can be used universally in the home: household appliances and even your electric car can be powered by electricity from your own roof.

However, Dosch explains that the technology does not allow for true electricity self-sufficiency. "Up to 35 percent of the electricity needed can be generated from renewable sources using photovoltaics," says the energy consultant. In combination with electricity storage, the electricity from self-production could rise to up to 60 percent. The remaining difference must be purchased from the grid supplier. "It can definitely pay off. But of course, it always depends on the total expenditure," says Dosch. Does a particularly large scaffolding have to be ordered, does the meter cabinet need refurbishing, and does the earthing of the house have to be partly renewed or established when a photovoltaic system is purchased? "These are all additional costs that consumers have to expect. That's why it's also difficult to make a blanket estimate of the actual costs in advance because each household has to be considered individually," explains the engineer.

To find out whether a house is suitable for a photovoltaic system at all, SWB employees use satellite images. In some cases, roofs are already covered with a chimney and satellite dish. Load-bearing capacity is a particular issue with flat roofs: "We can cover flat roofs with modules, but then they have to be weighted down." Otherwise, the system could be torn off the roof by a gust of wind. Because of the weighting, the load-bearing capacity of the roof must be taken into account. A structural engineer is consulted in case of doubt, says Dosch.

Installation on pitched roofs is easier with common pantile systems. "The roof construction of a modern house usually meets all the requirements for installing a system," he says. Old roofs from the 50s or 60s, on the other hand, should be checked for load-bearing capacity. The same applies to properties from the Wilhelminian period. If a house is under a preservation order, Dosch advises that the consumer first consult with the lower authority for the protection of historical monuments.

The now rising electricity prices have driven up the demand for photovoltaics this year. "But there are also many interested parties who want to have them for the sake of the environment," Dosch points out. In the past few years, the plants have become much more expensive. Prices are said to have risen by up to 20 percent. The war in Ukraine and the shortage of skilled workers have contributed to the price curve. Another cost factor is material shortages and a shortage of skilled workers.

Despite supply bottlenecks, high demand and a shortage of skilled workers, for many consumers photovoltaics is worthwhile, says Dosch. " We are looking back on 20 years of experience. This is a straightforward, robust and future-oriented technology."

(Original text: Niklas Schröder)

It was something of a sensation in Bonn when the traditional Siegburg Konditorei Fassbender opened a café in Bonn in 1995. A legendary reputation preceded the homemade cakes, tarts and chocolates: they were not only a feast for the eyes, but also a treat for the taste buds. Those with a sweet tooth among Bonn's inhabitants were particularly excited about the new establishment. After 27 years, the café in the prominent location between Sternstraße and Dreieck will close.

Klaus Hilger is one of the two managing directors and co-partners of the company, now called Fassbender Genusskultur GmbH. He and his colleagues had taken over the traditional confectionery, which was founded in 1910 on the Siegburg market, after the insolvency in 2019 and have been running it ever since, along with the branches in Siegburg and Cologne. The then insolvency administrator cited the hot summer and the resulting poor sales of confectionery as well as the consequences of a major fire in 2015. The fire had broken out in the central production and packaging hall in Siegburg. According to the GA archives, the insolvency administrator said that the insurance company only bore part of the costs.

Hilger cites the structural condition of the building and a high, "not insignificant" investment backlog as the reason for the closure of the café on Sternstraße. Certainly, the owner was primarily responsible for eliminating the investment backlog, but his company would also have had to make a contribution. This, and also the fact that operating the café with a kitchen on the top floor, toilets in the basement and a non-existent lift had always been quite difficult, and had ultimately led to the decision to terminate the lease at the end of the year.

"With 40 seats on the first floor in 60 square metres, the investment was too high for us," says Hilger. A lot has changed in the industry, and today you have to pay more attention to the younger public, he says. He adds that the lack of accessibility in the café on Sternstraße is not only a problem for people with walking disabilities, but also for parents with prams. If, for example, young mothers want to meet for breakfast with their small children, this is hardly possible in his café.

Hilger does not rule out another new café opening in the centre of Bonn. "But the general conditions are very difficult at the moment," he says, referring to the enormous price hikes for raw materials and rising energy costs. In addition, rents for business premises in the city centre continue to be expensive. He does not know what will happen to the building on Sternstraße and who will succeed him as tenant. Originally, the building housed the White House, a fabric shop. The plans for the conversion into a café came from the renowned Bonn architect Karl-Heinz Schommer.

(Original text: Lisa Inhoffen)