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Corona tests may soon only be available for a fee
Photo: Peter Kneffel / dpa
The federal government is planning to end the free corona tests.
“Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn said weeks ago that he thought it would be conceivable not to offer the tests free of charge to unvaccinated people at a later date.
The exact time has yet to be determined, ”said the Federal Ministry of Health on Saturday upon request.
The "Bild" newspaper had previously reported that the federal government had basically agreed that the tests would be chargeable as soon as all Germans could be vaccinated twice - that is, at the end of September or beginning of October.
According to SPIEGEL information, however, there has not yet been a formal agreement.
A decision could therefore be made at the early Prime Minister's Conference on August 10th at the earliest.
There is still no agreement
Federal Finance Minister Olaf Scholz (SPD) told the newspapers of the Funke media group: "Corona tests should be chargeable if everyone could have been vaccinated - in a few weeks." Of course, exceptions would have to apply to those who cannot be vaccinated for health reasons , as well as for children and adolescents.
Schleswig-Holstein's Prime Minister Daniel Günther also called on the federal government to charge for corona tests as soon as possible.
"The federal government should set a specific date in the coming week for the changeover to the cost of the corona tests," said the CDU politician of the "world".
That date could be September 20th.
"Until then, anyone who has not yet been vaccinated would still have the chance to be fully vaccinated."
Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) had already said on Tuesday: "Anyone who has had a vaccination offer and consciously refuses it can no longer be tested free of charge in the long run."
On the other hand, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) told the Mittelbayerische Zeitung a little later that he wanted to stick to free corona tests: “As long as the pandemic lasts, I would not change anything about the free of charge.
I want those who have neither been vaccinated nor recovered to have the chance of the test «.
mak / dpa