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Forte Village luxury resort in Sardinia: More than 100 employees flown to Munich for vaccinations
Photo: Martin Hangen / Plusphoto / imago images
When the Munich doctor Udo Beckenbauer recently spoke on Italian television, it was about a strange case of vaccination tourism: the luxury resort Forte Village from Sardinia had flown its entire workforce to Munich in the morning in May to provide employees at Beckenbauer airport with Biontech To get Pfizer injected.
They flew back to Sardinia that same afternoon.
Who organized the vaccine?
How could more than 100 hotel employees from Sardinia in Bavaria get Biontech syringes if they have no German residence and no German health insurance - while at the same time millions of Germans are still waiting for their first dose?
Is that legal
Such questions remained open.
In this case, there are now traces leading to Berlin.
In the second part of his TV interview, which the Italian TV station Rai broadcast on Sunday afternoon, Udo Beckenbauer says that the initiative came from the German government.
“The thing with the Forte Village comes from the government,” says Beckenbauer, “the German government tried to help them.
I don't know why. ”He was only asked to vaccinate.
The German government "knew," he went on, "it was an exception, for some reason it was approved."
From the government? Asked the Italian Rai journalist Francisca De Candia in astonishment.
"Yes.
Because they are on vacation there, ”replied Beckenbauer.
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Mediziner Beckenbauer in a TV interview: "For some reason it was approved"
Photo: Rai / Youtube
The vaccination campaign took place on May 21 at the Hotel Hilton Munich Airport, which is within walking distance between Terminals 1 and 2.
"At 9 o'clock we took the plane in Cagliari, at 11 o'clock we were in Munich, at 12.30 o'clock everything was over," reported a Forte Village manager: "Break with Bavarian beer.
At 5 p.m. we returned to Cagliari with our vaccination certificate. "
In the Rai interview, Beckenbauer now revealed further details.
“There were a lot of doctors there.
Everything was organized by the German Ministry of Health. "
In a written statement for SPIEGEL on June 9th, Beckenbauer made a more general statement: “One of my patients asked me by phone in mid-May that the hotel was planning a vaccination campaign for a group of its employees and asked if I would be vaccinated could be of help here at Munich Airport.
I have signaled my readiness, provided that the vaccination campaign would be properly legally secured, which I was assured. "
If Beckenbauer's statements are true: Who in the federal government took care of the Forte Village Resort?
Was "everything organized by the Ministry of Health", as Beckenbauer said?
Contacted by SPIEGEL on Sunday afternoon, neither Beckenbauer nor his lawyer provided any further information.
The Federal Ministry of Health answered a request from SPIEGEL by email with the subject line "Denial of participation in the Federal Ministry of Health Group vaccination in luxury hotel".
Without answering specific questions, a spokesman said: »According to the legal situation, only people who either live or work in Germany can be vaccinated.
Neither applies to the employees of an Italian hotel.
This action therefore violates applicable law and must be clarified by the responsible authorities on site.
In particular, where the vaccine comes from needs to be clarified. "
In Munich, the State Ministry for Health and Care told the Italian broadcaster: "The Ministry of Health has not issued a permit for this."
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Hotel employees at the vaccination appointment in Munich: "9 a.m. Cagliari, 11 a.m. Munich, at 12.30 p.m. it was all over"
Photo: Rai / Youtube
The luxury resort describes the vaccination campaign as an "act of courageous entrepreneurship"
Forte Village celebrates itself as "the best award-winning resort in the world".
For 20,000 euros per week there are deluxe bungalows in a 50 hectare park with direct access to the beach.
The group vaccination was an "act of courageous entrepreneurship," the resort said in a press release in May.
The aim is to enable guests to have "unique holidays with complete respect for their own health and that of everyone else".
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Forte Village employees on the way to Munich: Where did the vaccination doses come from?
Photo: Rai / Youtube
Did the group vaccination of Italians violate German law?
Or was there a legal way to procure Biontech cans for which the Corona vaccination regulation does not apply?
According to Beckenbauer, there were “a lot of doctors” at the airport appointment.
How many and which Bavarian doctors took part in the possibly illegal action?
And who is right in the end: Beckenbauer, who points to the federal government?
Or the Federal Ministry of Health, which calls the action in Bavaria illegal and demands clarification from the local authorities?
In the Italian TV interview you can see how Beckenbauer is visibly uncomfortable talking about his head and neck.
She should rather "forget" the matter, he tells the Italian journalist at one point.
