#23: Strikes, corona news, Unter den Linden, gangsters

It feels like we're holding our breath waiting to see what the new government(s) do about Corona.

Public transit is now 3G (tested, vaxxed or recovered) but all involved say they’re not responsible for checking, which means public transport is not 3G, regardless of what politicians claim. Photo: Imago

Good day beautiful foreigners!

Let’s lead with some good news: Berlin’s incoming government wants to boost the number of naturalizations to 20,000 per year from 7,000 currently, according to newswire dpa. Why? To up the 20 Percent’s participation in local and national governance. Really!

How? Digitalization. Centralizing and simplifying the process. And - according to the Grünen’s Bettina Jarasch - using the “wiggle room” allotted to each of Germany’s 16 states in granting citizenship. This has to bode well for those of us wanting dual citizenship (or just citizenship). I’m emotionally, familially and even tax-wise linked to both my original home and my chosen home, and I’d like to participate in both fairly and equally.

Considering the amount of tax I’ve handed Germany over the past two decades, Angela Merkel should stop by personally this afternoon and hand me a German passport.

Have a good week!

Andrew

The Berlin corona stats for Tuesday, November 16

Fully vaccinated: 67.9% (67.7% Friday)
New cases in one day: 2,593 (2,185 Friday)
Total deaths: 3,762 (+6 over Friday)

🔴 7-day Covid-19 incidence (cases per 100,000): 315.8 (279.2 Friday)
🟢 7-day hospitalization incidence (also per 100,000): 3.7 (3.6 Friday)
🟡 Covid-19 ICU patient occupancy: 15.4% (13.5% Friday)

Source: Berlin’s corona information page

A few corona words

The incidence among kids between 5 and 14 is 1,097 in Berlin, the highest of any group. A few schools have already switched to hybrid classes but more can’t be far behind. Vaccinations: The city now has three public vaccination centers - the convention center (Messe), the former Tegel airport and the Ring Center mall in Lichtenberg. A fourth will open soon at the Karlshorst horse track, giving both former Berlins two each. The centers are reportedly inundated and reportedly require people to wait six months between full vaccination and the first booster - your family doctor may be more willing since the government just upped how much it pays doctors per jab (€28 instead of €20).

More strikes

Public employees, including daycare staff and borough-level bureaucrats, are striking Tuesday following a strike last week by school teachers. Union Verdi is in collective wage talks with Germany’s states and wants €150 or 5 percent more per month for its members (whichever is greater) as well as €100 more for trainees, according to the Morgenpost. Teachers and police officers are also to strike Wednesday. We’ll probably notice the teachers striking more than the officers.

Commuting Unter den Linden

If you (like me) have to regularly traverse Unter den Linden with a bike, car or bus, you know it’s been a nightmare seemingly since the last Kaiser abdicated. The last few months have seen relief with the completion of several construction projects but Berliner Zeitung says traffic will be again be affected as the street gets a makeover that will create one lane each in each direction for bikes, buses and cars (🤮) when done some time next year. However, in 2028 it’s to be redone yet again, this time eliminating lanes for cars.

Proof criminals like Berlin property too

Two members of the Abou-Chakar crime family as well as a businessman and an allied lawyer were sentenced to years in prison Monday after nearly defrauding two Hamburg retirees out of an entire Friedrichshain apartment building - an entire building. The group counterfeited ID papers and convinced two unknown associates to play the couple, according to the Hamburger Morgenpost. They then went to city officials and recorded a sale of the building to a company for a fictitious €250,000. The company was then going to sell the building for millions but when insurers contacted the original owners, the house of cards crumbled. An entire apartment building! Impressive.

Tier buys nextbike

Local startup Tier Mobility Monday said it bought Leipzig’s nextbike, primarily to tap the rental bike startup’s deep connections with local governments. Nextbike has been around since 2004 and has even made it as far as Pittsburgh, USA, mostly by inking contracts with local governments that hope to look more environmentally friendly. Tier also announced a new €200 million in financing. The company’s starting to look like one of the last mobility companies standing after swallowing Bosch’s failed Coup electric scooter startup last year.

Factoid:

You’ve never seen them because you’ve never been to Reinickendorf. Photo: Imago

Berlin has had two herds of Water Buffalo helping maintain the flora and fauna around the Tegel stream in Reinickendorf since 2015. A herd can also be seen on the Pfaueninsel in Potsdam during the summer, again to help keep weeds in check.