Germany's corona rapid test strategy: doctors and restaurateurs angry - "No open day"

There is currently plenty of criticism of the federal government for corona tests.

The state governments are furious and there is also no concrete plan for doctors and restaurateurs.

Update from March 7th, 10.13 a.m.:

Corona test chaos: The federal government says the federal states have to take care of tests.

The states, on the other hand, are angry because the federal government does not seem to be reliable

(see initial report)

.

CSU * General Secretary Markus Blume criticizes Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) * in

Bild am Sonntag

: "You cannot shift the responsibility for testing onto the countries and declare yourself to be completely incompetent." Ultimately, the victims are schools , Restaurateurs, doctors or pharmacists who are supposed to carry out the tests on site.

But much has not yet been settled.

The federal government emphasizes that rapid tests - carried out by trained personnel - are available.

But there is obviously still a lot in the air.

While the discounter shelves were quickly sold out with the tests on Saturday *, it has not yet been clarified what is mandatory if a test produces a positive result.

There is currently no obligation to report.

The Corona test kits are currently not free of charge either.

As of Monday, the federal government will only take over one quick test per person per week, carried out by a third party.

Quick test and self-test: warn family doctors, pharmacists and restaurants

Everyone should be able to be tested, for example in pharmacies or doctors' offices.

However, the head of the General Practitioners Association, Ulrich Weigeldt, warns in

Bild am Sonntag

: “What we cannot offer is an open day for everyone who wants to be tested spontaneously.” You don't even know when Quick test of what quantity is to be ordered by whom and to whom it is to be delivered.

The pharmacy association ABDA also says that “maybe 20, 30 percent” of the pharmacies would only participate.

The current decision of the federal-state consultations also states that a daily quick test or self-test must be submitted from March 22nd at the earliest and when the incidence is between 50 and 100, so that guests (if they have previously booked an appointment) can return to outdoor catering with several Households are allowed to use.

It is unclear whether every restaurant has to set up a test station in front of the entrance.

The general manager of the Hotel and Restaurant Association Dehoga, Ingrid Hartges, told the newspaper: "Not every restaurateur can put his own test tent in front of the entrance, this is simply not affordable for smaller businesses."

Corona test strategy in Germany: Schwesig pissed off, because Aldi and Co. tests "sold out"

+

Manuela Schwesig is angry: She blames the federal government for the lack of rapid tests in the federal states.

© Jens Büttner / dpa

First report from March 6th:

Schwerin - Manuela Schwesig (SPD) joins the long line of critics from Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU).

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Prime Minister has sharply criticized the federal government's test strategy.

Because while the first discounter is entering the rapid test business, the federal states are missing them as an important tool in combating the corona pandemic.

"At this point I don't want to hide the fact that I'm very upset that the federal government allows Aldi * and Co. to sell self-tests and we don't get the self-tests delivered until mid-March," said Schwesig on Saturday in Schwerin.

From their point of view, those responsible are clear.

Merkel and Spahn under fire: test strategy fundamentally wrong?

Manuela Schwesig sharply criticizes the federal government

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania had already ordered two million of these self-tests before the Prime Minister's Conference, "because we suspected that we could not rely on the federal government," she continued.

The country has around 1.6 million inhabitants.

In the Corona * pandemic, it cannot be that the market determines the protection of children and adolescents.

The state should have done this, said Schwesig.

With more self-tests, easing in day-care centers and schools is more likely.

At the end of February, Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) had conceded Jens Spahn's rapid test and let the Minister of Health appear.

Now the discounter Aldi started surprisingly early on Saturday (March 6th) to sell the rapid tests in branches.

Although many customers were annoyed about the low number of items, the chain had gained an advantage over other chains and drugstores with the early appointment.

However, these will follow suit in the coming days and weeks *.

A pack of rapid tests for at home costs 24.99 euros at the Aldi supermarket checkout.

There are five tests in one pack.

That makes a price of five euros per test.

Corona rapid tests: Schwesig with angry accusation - reaction from the CDU follows promptly

In spite of the “market launch”, delivery bottlenecks for the federal states should not actually occur.

Because a few days ago, Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) had promised: “There are more than enough of these rapid tests, they are available and can be easily ordered.” The manufacturers had assured his Ministry of Health that the stores were full.

Saxony's Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) also does not believe that there will be a real bottleneck for the federal states and defends the government against Schwesig's allegations.

“Rapid tests * are produced and available in excess.

The new self-tests have only been approved for a few days.

The accusation to the federal government is cheap, ”said Kretschmer on Friday the dpa.

The federal government's promise to cover half of the costs for testing in schools and daycare centers is an important support.

Schwesig accused him of “Corona election campaigns”.

In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, a new state parliament will be elected on September 26th parallel to the Bundestag.

(dpa / mam) * Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA