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"Announcement Minister" after Merkel slap on the defensive: Spahn faces the quick test debacle in the Bundestag

2021-02-24T10:58:40.782Z


It's not going as fast as hoped again: Health Minister Spahn had to withdraw his announcement about rapid tests. He will have to justify that in the Bundestag.


It's not going as fast as hoped again: Health Minister Spahn had to withdraw his announcement about rapid tests.

He will have to justify that in the Bundestag.

  • The criticism of Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) * does not stop.

  • On Wednesday, he will answer questions from members of the Bundestag * about corona self-tests.

  • He had to withdraw his announcement of the trial offer from March 1st.

    Chancellor Angela Merkel * (CDU) also intervened.

  • This news ticker is updated regularly.

Berlin - Corona easing would have to be accompanied by a test strategy, digital possibilities and rapid vaccination.

For example, NRW Prime Minister Armin Laschet summed it up on Tuesday *.

Despite stagnating corona numbers, politics and business are intensely discussing openings.

Or at least through perspectives, for example in the form of step-by-step plans.

But what is coming more and more into focus: Rapid tests - carried out by both specialists and laypersons as a so-called self-test.

There is a lot of hope in them.

For Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU), however, this topic is currently becoming a political nightmare again: he originally announced that from March 1st an offer would come for all citizens to be tested free of charge by trained staff with rapid antigen tests - for example in Test centers, practices or pharmacies.

Chancellor Merkel and Vice Chancellor Scholz conceded this plan on Tuesday.

Now the topic should only be discussed at the Corona summit on March 3.

Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) * criticized the

Bild

at an online event that

approvals in Germany "always took so long".

He hopes that after the postponed start of the submission of rapid tests there will be a solution next week.

Söder also said that you can do a lot with many rapid tests.

"If we had 300 million a month for Germany, then we could enable much more freedom in many areas."

Health Minister Spahn in the criticism: At 1 p.m. he answered questions about corona self-tests in the Bundestag

On Wednesday at 1 p.m. Jens Spahn had to comment on the test debacle in front of the Bundestag.

Critical questions from MPs are to be expected.

Even the leader of the SPD parliamentary group referred to Spahn as an "announcement minister".

The FDP * proposed to pave the way for gradual easing * with a regulation modeled on Austria.

A corresponding application should be submitted to the Bundestag this week.

"When testing we have to press the tube, not the brake," said FDP member Andrew Ullmann of the German press agency.

+

Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU): After the vaccination debacle, now the test debacle?

The minister will answer MEPs questions on Wednesday.

© Dorothée Barth / dpa

Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) also plays a decisive role in the issue: According to

information from the

image

, she is said to have let Spahn run again on Tuesday morning.

Your goal seems to be to incorporate the tests into the agreed concept at the next Corona summit and not to rush ahead.

It is possible that too many questions were still unanswered on Monday, writes the

Süddeutsche Zeitung

, for example

.

Union parliamentary group leader Ralph Brinkhaus also recently said about the planned large-scale test strategy: “It doesn't matter whether that's seven days before or seven days later.

It is crucial that it is properly organized. "

Merkel's apparently tough line against her health ministers is currently unusual, as she repeatedly emphasized in past press conferences what a “great job” Spahn was doing.

But she also took the scepter again and again when it came to vaccination.

Jens Spahn (CDU): Special approval for corona self-tests - available from discounters, among others

At least Spahn goes to the Bundestag with good news: The Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices has issued the first three special approvals for corona tests for self-use by laypeople.

In all three tests, the samples would be obtained by swabbing the front of the nose.

Spahn said in the ZDF “Morgenmagazin” that the self-tests should be available from discounters, among others, in the next few days.

He assumes that further self-tests could be approved in the coming week.

Meanwhile, Spahn made the next suggestion: a combination of more rapid tests and self-tests for everyone.

"There are now significantly more rapid tests and now also self-tests available," said the CDU politician of the dpa.

Regarding rapid tests that have to be carried out by trained personnel, Spahn explained: “More rapid tests can help us to gain more security in everyday life.

When we want to visit the grandmother, for those in need of care in the home or when traveling. ”These tests by trained third parties make sense wherever confirmed proof of the result is needed.

In return, they should be available at low levels and free of charge.

Self-tests, on the other hand, could provide security in specific situations in the future, said Spahn: “Before you go to an event, have your hair cut or go to the theater.”

(Cibo / dpa) * Merkur.de is part of the Ippen-Digital network.

List of rubric lists: © Dorothée Barth / dpa

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-02-24

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