Bonn. The COVID-19 incidence value in Bonn has again fallen to below the critical mark of 200. Yesterday, the city of Bonn website recorded that the incidence was 199 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days.

The incidence has been falling for several days, which gives hope that the tough lockdown is beginning to take effect. On Dec. 22, the number of new COVID-19 infections had reached an all-time high of 245 per 100,000 population within seven days. But by December 23, it had already dropped slightly to 241, on Christmas Eve to 238, and on Christmas Day to 229. The lower value might also be because less testing took place over Christmas.

From an incidence value of 200, municipalities in the pandemic are obliged to take more stringent protective measures in coordination with the NRW state government. Therefore, the city of Bonn had, among other things, imposed a ban on firecrackers for the entire city area on New Year's Eve. It remains to be seen whether this will remain the case if the infection figures continue to fall. The ban on firecrackers in all public places and streets is intended not primarily to protect against infection, but to prevent overloading of Bonn clinics by firecracker injuries. The legal basis for the ban is therefore likely to remain, even if infection figures fall.

According to the city administration, 186 people from Bonn and the surrounding area who have contracted COVID-19 are in hospital (as of December 23), 139 patients are being cared for in normal wards and 47 people are in intensive care units, 31 of whom need to be ventilated.

As of Saturday, the city had registered 658 new infections within a week. This means that 967 people in Bonn are currently infected. In total 2,298 people are in quarantine. The number of people who have died on or with the coronavirus has risen to 63. The press office had no further information about the 76-year-old person who died last, such as possible previous illnesses.

(Original text, Andreas Baumann)

Bonn. Between Christmas and New Year's Day, not all doctors' offices are open as usual. The Bonn family doctor Bernhard Koop, who is responsible for the coordination of the emergency service practice at the Malteser Hospital, assumes that about half of the established doctors in the city area will open their practices and the rest will be shut for the holiday. During office hours, other local medical practices then take over outpatient care on a stand-in basis and by arrangement.

No increased demand is expected due to the pandemic. On holidays and outside of office hours, the emergency service practices serve as central points of contact, according to the North Rhine Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KVNO). In Bonn, the emergency service practices at Helios Hospital (formerly Malteser), St. Josef Hospital and the Evangelischen Clinics are open daily. The emergency service of the pediatricians at the St. Marien Hospital is also running, as is the emergency service of the ophthalmologists at the University Hospital in Bonn.

A mobile service is available during the day and at night to respond to emergencies. This exists not only over the Christmas holidays, but also on New Year's Eve and New Year. Patients who are bedridden can call the KVNO's around-the-clock central medical call number 11 61 17 to request a medical home visit, which is coordinated by the medical call centre. There may occasionally be a waiting time.

Patients with symptoms that could indicate possible COVID-19 infection should call ahead and ask about any infection consultations before visiting a doctor's office. Outside of office hours, patients are advised to call 11 61 17 to make an appointment in advance.

Hospitals are deploying more staff this year to staff COVID-19 emergency outpatient clinics. To reduce contacts in city government as well, most staff members have taken holiday. The Health Department continues to operate. The COVID-19 hotline for health issues related to the coronavirus (0228/7175) will be staffed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, December 28–30, and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on New Year's Eve. Anyone who has already registered with a positive test result or as a contact person at the Health Department can contact the quarantine team via the telephone number provided and will be advised accordingly.

An overview of emergency services can be found at: https://patienten.kvno.de/service/notdienst/bonn?

(Original text, Philipp Königs)

Bonn/Region. At the start of vaccinations from December 27, the residents and the employees of nursing homes will be vaccinated. In the homes and care facilities in Cologne, the necessary vaccine explanation documents and consent for the vaccine are available, announced the city of Cologne. Therefore, the city is addressing the responsible persons of the nursing homes to deliver these promptly.

Germany and the other EU countries are gearing up for the start of the vaccination campaign against COVID-19. Following the conditional approval of their vaccine in the EU, the Mainz-based company Biontech and the US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced that deliveries would begin immediately. The first vaccine doses were expected to arrive in NRW on Boxing Day. Meanwhile, a new travel protection regulation has been in effect in NRW since Sunday. For weeks, the incidence figures in Bonn and the Rhein-Sieg district have been around the 200 mark.

(Original text, ga)

Vilich. The previous owner of a set of crib figures, Eva-Maria Schnicke, is parting with the collector's item after the death of her husband. It is important to the woman from Bad Godesberg that her rarity is set up every year before Christmas and made accessible to the public.

Despite the constraints during the COVID-19 pandemic, Pastor Michael Dörr has managed to get the nativity scene set up and on display even this Christmas. Together with sexton Martin Hissen and Beate Roll from the Mass circle, the pastor of St. Peter's set up the unusual nativity scene shortly before Christmas. All parishioners can admire the nativity scene from the outside, through the large front windows of the Haus der Begegnung in Vilich, Adelheidistraße 19.

The parishes of St. Maria Königin, Vilich-Müldorf, St. Peter, Vilich, and St. Joseph, Geislar, have prepared a nativity scene route for each village to make a contemplative pastime at Christmas and the days following. The inhabitants of the villages were asked to place their nativity scenes in their windows, so that passers-by could look at the nativity scenes along the way. The end is always at the Haus der Begegnung. Leaflets outlining the routes, which can be made until Wednesday, January 6, inclusive, are available in the three parish churches.

The Schnicke family shared a deep friendship with the Czizek couple. "From year to year, we received more figurines as gifts. We were overjoyed to receive such a gem," recalls Eva-Maria Schnicke in conversation with the GA. Now that her husband Martin is no longer alive, setting up and taking down has become too much work for her. "my children don't have the space for such a big crib either. That is why I am now placing it in good hands."

Pastor Michael Dörr is overjoyed to now be able to manage and care for this rarity. He already has almost 30 nativity scenes in his collection. "Nativity scenes transmit the incarnation of God through the birth of Jesus. As a Christian, you can draw strength and confidence from this message and that is a hopeful signal, especially now in these difficult times," says Dörr.

On his retirement, Hans Joachim Czizek (1924 to 2007) was given the opportunity to restore Neapolitan figures in Italy, which laid the spark for a passionate hobby. He made the figures, and his wife Marie-Luise (1924 to 2003) made the clothing.

The Czizek couple had a rich library that provided them with information on dress styles, restoration options and liturgical specifications. The couple liked to use antique fabrics as well as glass eyes from Lauscha. "All of these components add to the special appeal of the figurines. Their nativity scenes and fabrics were very popular with collectors. Despite their success, the couple remained modest and lived a very secluded life. Even in Japan, an exhibition with their nativity scenes took place years ago," reports Eva-Maria Schnicke.

(Original text, Holger Willcke)

(Translations, John Chandler)