In an interview with Merkur, Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz advises Germany to orientate itself on its Corona strategy.
He calls for the greatest possible return to normalcy for the vaccinated, convalescent and tested.
Munich - Germany advises, Austria makes it easy: This is the situation with the new rapid tests and self-tests against Corona *.
In an interview with
Münchner Merkur
, Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (34, ÖVP) explains his concept of offering mass tests and opening parts of schools and retail outlets for this, despite the still high incidence.
“Our motto is: Test, test, test, and for that more freedom.” Austria, with a population of nine million, now carries out over 2.5 million tests every week - in schools, companies, on test roads across the country.
According to Kurz, there are now free self-tests for at home in pharmacies.
In short: self-tests for schools - every child is tested twice a week
The self-tests are also used in schools.
A negative test is valid for 48 hours, says Kurz in an interview.
Every school child is tested twice a week.
“Tests on Monday and Wednesday enable us to run safely at school for four working days.” Briefly emphasized that initially there was also strong resistance.
The right-wing FPÖ spoke of “coercion” and “corporate state methods”.
Kurz counters: “The tests are now very well received.
Because they give us more freedom despite the pandemic.
It works, there are enough tests available on the market, and 99 percent of parents support the test. "
Short for free tests: "Every day lockdown costs more than an infinite number of tests"
Austria's head of government advises offering the tests free of charge.
“Every day of lockdown costs more than an infinite number of tests.
For us the decision was easy: We offer the tests for free and are grateful to every citizen who can be tested. "
At the EU summit on Thursday and Friday, Sebastian Kurz wants to present the second part of his easing plan.
He requires a digital vaccination card that is valid across Europe.
"We need a Europe again in which the internal market functions, in which everyone can move freely, for business or for vacation," says the ÖVP politician.
“People had to endure a lot for a year now.
They rightly want a perspective as to when one can enjoy culture, sport, gastronomy again. ”His plan: an EU-wide digital green passport,“ where everyone can easily prove with their mobile phone whether they have been vaccinated *, recovered or freshly tested .
So you should have full access everywhere. "
Corona in Austria and Germany: Briefly argued against border controls
The German Chancellor has to convince briefly, according to reports there is also resistance in France.
The Chancellor tells us: “There is still some skepticism here and there.
I think it's a meaningful project for Europe.
If that doesn't work, we'll implement it nationally in Austria. "
The Austrian boss wrote something else in the exercise book for the Germans: He argued clearly against border closings and controls.
A safety net with masks and tests is useful.
“But I don't think it makes sense to take measures that endanger the internal market, people can no longer get to work and families are torn apart.
I hope that Europe will soon bring about a uniform approach to its borders. ”
- Christian Deutschländer - * Merkur.de is part of the Ippen network.