FOLLOW-UP POINTS: HAMBURG, BELGIUM, FAX MACHINES


JUNE 4:

Today I want briefly to make a follow-up to three of my previous stories:

HAMBURG:

Yesterday – 100 days after the local elections – a new cooperation agreement between the two parties in government was presented: SPD under Lord Mayor Peter Tschentscher and THE GREENS under mayor Katharina Fegebank.  The new agreement has strengthend The Greens, who will now get one more post as mayor. This mayor will be responsible for transport questions – one of the top priorities of the party.

You may follow events in Hamburg in English on this website:


BELGIUM:
The government’s corona Crisis Committee yesterday decided to start Phase 3 in the removal on the lockdown of the country. This is possible, because the development in the health situation is positive and satisfactory.

The main points are:

·       Freedom is now the rule. The limitations the exception.

·       The rules about keeping 1,5 m distance, about frequent cleaning of hands, etc., and the prohibition against big gatherings are maintained

·       From Monday, June 8,  restaurants, cafes and hotels may open. It will be allowed to take holidays for many days inside Belgium. Cultural centres open. Sportsactivities may start ( June: max. 20 persons; July: max 50 persons ). Fitness centres may open.

·       From Monday, June 15:  all Belgium’s borders will open.

USE OF FAX MACHINES:

I wrote earlier that all use of fax machines has stopped. This is not completely true. You can still buy small modems making it possible for computers and laptops to work as fax machines.

One remark more:  until around 2005 there was still doubt, if e-mails were legally binding. This made the normal fax machines live for longer than technology decided.   But this problem is out of the way for a long time now.


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