BONN. Fans flocked in droves to the opening of rapper Xatar’s new snack bar in the city centre on Saturday afternoon. The authorities and even the rapper himself had not reckoned with the several hundred people who came to the ‘Haval-Grill’ on the site of the former ‘Uni-Burger’ on Stockenstraße. Very few were wearing face coverings and observing social distancing rules in the crowd that gathered in front of the snack bar, nor in the queue of people waiting outside that stretched over 100m. Instead, many people were using their phones to record the event, which had already caused quite a stir on social media.

This was a worrying situation for Ulrich Forkert from the public order services. “The regulations are not being adhered to, which is why we asked the operator to take appropriate action,” he said. The organisers had set up barriers and made floor markings and even hired security, “but we did not expect this throng of people,” one of them stated. Police attended the scene with around one hundred officers to defuse the situation. Along with the public order services, they asked people to observe social distancing in the queue and to wear masks, which they did. Due to the crowds, rapper Xatar and several guests of honour had already withdrawn shortly after the opening at 1 pm in order to prevent an even greater rush. The queue outside the snack bar only dissolved when the meat slowly ran out around 4 pm. The public order services contributed to the closing of the shop around this time. The atmosphere remained peaceful at all times.

Another new restaurant with a famous owner also opened on Friday. After launching his ice cream parlour "Ice Cream United" on Poststraße at the beginning of June, international football star Lukas Podolski opened his new kebab shop "Mangal-Döner" at the premises of the former Lubig bakery.

(Original text: Nicolas Ottersbach)

BEUEL-OST. Bonn’s fire brigade now has a new training facility at the fire station 2 in Maarstraße. The building was officially inaugurated on Friday in the presence of mayor Ashok Sridharan and district mayor Guido Déus. The firefighters also performed a drill. Here participants in the basic training course who have already completed technical or manual vocational training drove up in a fire engine. Their task was to rescue a person from a balcony and contain the smoke development in the building. The participants will finish their course in autumn before beginning their service at the fire station in Bonn.

According to Sridharan, the new three-storey building cost around 500,000 euros. It can withstand regular operations using extinguishing water, foam and practice fog, but is not designed for exercises with real fire because the concrete would burst open, explained station manager Frank Linnarz. The council had made the decision to erect the building in 2017. It replaces an old gas transfer station on the site that had become dilapidated through the practice exercises. In contrast, the new building should last longer and will be used by the crew of the professional and voluntary fire brigades in Bonn for decades to come. Deputy head of Bonn fire brigade, Carsten Schneider, said that the new drills will have a positive effect on real operations.

(Original text: Stefan Knopp)

BONN. After the employee of a care home for the elderly in Bonn tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday, three other people have also been infected - two employees and one resident. The city of Bonn has said that this is a preliminary conclusion.

After the infection was detected among staff at the care home, a total of around 120 employees and residents were tested with throat swabs. More than half of the tests came back negative. The remaining test results are not yet available. Bonn’s public health department has started to investigate persons who have had direct contact with the infected and has issued a visiting ban for the care home, which has not been named. The four people who tested positive are in quarantine. The entire facility will be tested again at the beginning of the week, according to the city of Bonn.

(Original text: Anja Wollschlaeger)

BONN. A change of office under corona conditions: Only virtually did the Rotary Club Bonn International (RCBI) make the transition to the new president. Colin Dürkop succeeds Paul Desanker, who led the club until 30 June 2020. For the next twelve months, Dürkop will now head the club's 40 or so members, who come from a good dozen nations. The club language is therefore English.

For many years Dürkop headed foreign offices of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Thailand, Singapore, Korea and Turkey. In his year in office he has set himself the goal of primarily supporting projects that benefit socially disadvantaged groups. The RCBI had recently supported an orphanage in Malawi with several thousand Euros. "But of course we also see ourselves as a Bonn club and will and will also be socially involved here in the area," says Dürkop. Amongst other things, support is to be given to needy young people who take part in the summer Kids Camp and receive further training in a youth workshop. Also the artists suffering from the Corona crisis shall be supported with appropriate measures.

Former President Paul Desanker, who works for the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat, could look back on a successful year that brought nine new members. "I am particularly pleased that we are attractive to young people," he said in his farewell speech. The club bridged the limitations of the Corona period with online meetings, continuing to work on projects that will continue in the new Rotary year. For example, a cookbook is in preparation, the proceeds from which will also go to the orphanage in Malawi.

(Translations: Caroline Kusch)