Germany is far from exhausting its testing capacity for corona infections. The health minister wants a test to be the norm, for example when he is admitted to a nursing home. According to reports, there are logistical problems with the delivery of protective masks.
Berlin (dpa) - Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn soon wants to create the basis for more tests for the corona virus in hospitals and nursing homes.
"My goal is to present a regulation in May that will enable preventive series tests in hospitals and nursing homes," said the CDU politician to the newspaper "Die Welt". "When patients and residents are admitted or transferred, Sars CoV-19 testing should be the norm."
According to the report, in the event of an infection in a facility, all staff, residents and patients should be smeared as a precaution. Symptom-free contact persons for infected people should also be entitled to testing for the first time.
Just over a week ago, the Bundestag passed a law that the Federal Ministry of Health can use to prescribe statutory health insurance companies to fundamentally pay for tests for the corona virus - even if someone has no symptoms. Spahn now referred to unused test capacities: "Last week, 425,000 tests were carried out across Germany. But the test capacity is more than twice as large."
The minister also announced the "establishment of a permanent national reserve of medical protective equipment". "This reserve ensures security for several months so that we don't get into a situation like in February and March, when even the medical staff did not have enough masks and gloves."