Voluntary corona tests for travelers returning to Bavaria are largely pointless - BRK is also sounding the alarm

Are the voluntary and free corona tests completely pointless for people entering Bavaria? The media report very long waiting times - and wrong tests.

• Sounded like a good idea: Voluntary corona tests * for travelers returning from Munich Airport * and on the motorways.
• It just doesn't seem to work.
• The media report very long waiting times and incorrect coronavirus * test results.

Munich - Around 50,000 travelers have already made use of the free corona tests in Bavaria . At the same time, there is a lot of criticism of the free Corona test in Bavaria *, including from general practitioners. But that is now topped again. Research by several media shows that this Bavarian test offer leads to annoying waiting times at best. In the worst case scenario, those returning to travel will feel like a false sense of security.

Corona tests for travelers in Bavaria: 50,000 were tested - but what good the results ...

As of today, travelers arriving from a risk area must have themselves tested for the #Corona virus either within 48 hours prior to entry or immediately after entry directly at Munich Airport in the test center. All information: https://t.co/mvuGKhFQhL pic.twitter.com/ADjaLjIU9A

Taking the samples is relatively problem-free for those returning to travel and hardly any waiting times. But then the long wait for the corona test result begins . Several media unanimously report that waiting times of more than seven days are not uncommon for the voluntary tests that have been offered for over a week at the Bavarian motorway border crossings as well as at Munich Airport and Bavarian train stations.

Several travelers also unanimously confirm that they never received a corona test result after a voluntary test when entering Bavaria. The responsible Bavarian State Office for Health and Food Safety (LGL) confirms via a spokesman for the FAZ that "people who have voluntarily been tested unfortunately had to wait longer for their results".

Corona tests for travelers in Bavaria: Long waiting times for results - and incorrect test results

The case of a 16-year-old student who, according to SZ information, is said to have played out sounds even worse . According to the newspaper's mother, the young person is said to have received the negative test result from someone else after a test at Munich Airport. At the instigation of the parents, the family doctor also tested the boy - result: positive.

It should be noted: These voluntary corona tests are paid for by the state, i.e. by the taxpayer.

These reports paint a precarious picture. Because in the worst case, the returnees who have been tested feel a false sense of security if they no longer hear anything. Apart from that, seven-day-old tests are completely pointless at first unless the people tested have gone into self-imposed quarantine until the result.

Voluntary corona tests in Bavaria were introduced in a hurry - there was a shortage of staff at providers

As the SZ research further shows, the free Bavarian corona tests were apparently introduced completely hastily and without providing the necessary resources. The test centers could only be kept running because volunteers from the Bavarian Red Cross stepped in. BRK President Theo Zellner is unusually clear to the SZ:

The BRK has the task of helping out in operations such as floods; it does not include the operation of test centers.

Even more: A private provider should actually take over on behalf of the LGL. Apparently he has no people. So the voluntary helpers from the BRK will probably continue to be needed.

Corona tests on highways in Bavaria: BRK helper on stop "like in a ski suit in the blazing sun"

But they're already on their way. The helpers on the highways would have to be replaced every half hour because they worked in full protective suits. They were then exhausted and sweaty, "like in a ski suit and the blazing sun," said the Red Cross spokesman. 180 to 250 volunteers are on the job every day , a total of around 2000. However, the work on a voluntary level cannot go on. The work must be handed over to professional service providers next week.

In Rostock, 67 teachers and students have to be in quarantine today because four children have tested positive for the corona virus. They were already tested from their vacation when they entered Germany. The result was: negative.

The Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) calls his cabinet for an unscheduled meeting on Monday (August 10 ). The corona tests are on the agenda alongside the measures for the new school year. * Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.