City spokeswoman Monika Hörig once again explicitly confirmed on Thursday that the new Corona Protection Ordinance of the state of NRW is in effect in Bonn without exception: The city has no room for maneuver, even if it had other ideas or stipulations, they would have to be approved by the state. ”The city currently has no plans to do this," the spokeswoman said. Meanwhile, there was also good news for Bonn's outdoor pool visitors on Thursday from the city hall: Following the Hardtbergbad and the Friesdorf outdoor pool, the Ennertbad will also open this Saturday. Responding to an inquiry, the city said it would inform the public in the coming weeks about when the remaining pools will open. For the time being, the pools can only be used for lap swimming; as soon as the incidence value is below 50, the sunbathing areas will also be opened.

After the state government announced on Wednesday that shops would be allowed to open, preparations were underway in many Bonn stores on Thursday. "The mood is absolutely positive, it was high time”, said Karina Kröber from Bonn City Marketing. With plenty of good humor in her voice, Anne Herklotz also reported, "The balloons have been ordered, we're just redecorating the shop window." The 39-year-old runs the boutique "Le Shop" on Friedrichstrasse. "We're happy to be opening again, except for the limited number of customers," she said. Her only concern, she said, is that premature euphoria will cause infection numbers to rise again. "We've had a lot of catching up to do since December, and our online offerings and our loyal regular customers have saved us," Herklotz said.

Business suits, cocktail dresses, evening wear, swimwear - the fact that there was hardly any demand for such apparel for more than a year took a toll on fashion retailer Sinn Leffers. But now there is light at the end of the tunnel, says Managing Director Erich Beyersdorff: "We were able to avoid layoffs, short-time work has ended, and sales are getting closer to normal day by day. But no politician should believe that this is the end of the story," he says, referring to the long lean period. Both Beyersdorff and Nicole Landgraf from the Bonn shoe store of the same name are now banking on the fact that - with friendlier weather hopefully coming soon - outdoor gastronomy will pick up again. “We businesses really missed this. For many customers, an outdoor coffee or dinner is simply part of the shopping experience in Bonn," says Landgraf, referring to her customers from the surrounding areas: "The different rules have been very confusing lately.

”But it will be a while before the fitness studios in Bonn can open their doors. Only when the incidence is below 50 for five days in a row can members get on the treadmill again. Endenich-based studio Clever fit has equipped its rooms with ventilation systems to ensure better air exchange, said employee Eric Göbel. He added that they have also made adjustments to sufficiently space the fitness equipment and adhere to a maximum number of guests. Harald Göbel, managing director of Schwimm- und Sportfreunde Bonn (SSF), said, "We're ready and can open at any time." The SSF operate a fitness studio in the Sportpark Nord.

(orig. text: Rüdiger Franz, Philipp Königs; translation: ck)