Despite the Omicron wave: the state is getting out of the Luca app

Created: 01/14/2022, 19:08

By: Jens Kiffmeier

Setback for rapper Smudo: His Luca app is no longer supported in Bremen.

Despite the high incidence, it offers no added value for contact tracing.

Berlin – After a year it should be over: After Schleswig-Holstein, the state of Bremen is also leaving the Luca app.

Despite the building omicron wall, the authorities want to let the contract expire.

"The use of the Luca app did not show any great added value in contact tracing last year," said Health Senator Claudia Bernhard (left) according to the dpa news agency.

The system has not proven itself.

According to a report by "buten un binnen", the health department in Bremen was only able to identify and track a corona contact using the app in ten cases.

The state had invested around 220,000 euros in the cooperation with the operator.

The balance sheet in other federal states was similarly sobering.

Schleswig-Holstein has already drawn the line, followed by Brandenburg and Bremen on Friday.

In Lower Saxony, they are still undecided.

The contract runs until March, until then the situation will be assessed, Health Minister Daniela Behrens (SPD) told NDR.

Corona rules: Bremen does not use the Luca app by rapper Smudo – no added value for contact tracing

The app was originally intended to help retailers, restaurants and organizers* to facilitate the contact tracing required by law.

Instead of using cumbersome paperwork, the data can be recorded electronically with just a few clicks.

But there was always controversy.

In addition to the growing doubts about the real benefit, there were always data protection concerns about the technology*, which was designed by two software companies and publicly promoted by the rapper Smudo from the Fantastischen Vier.

Checked out: The state of Bremen is withdrawing its support for the Luca app.

© Philipp von Ditfurth/dpa

But what's next?

So far, contact tracing has been considered an effective means of containing the coronavirus pandemic.

But in Bremen and Lower Saxony, the health authorities are increasingly reaching the limit.

With the new Omicron variant, which is considered extremely contagious, the corona numbers are skyrocketing again - and the authorities can no longer keep up.

For the Hanseatic city, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported an incidence of 1427.2 on Friday - this is a record in Germany.

Incidence in Bremen at a record high - health authorities do not comply with the imposition of quarantine

In view of these values, some virologists already consider contact tracing to be pointless. "In terms of incidence, it can no longer be managed by the health authorities," said scientist Klaus Stöhr to the editorial network Germany (RND). He hoped for the fact that omicron causes a milder course in a large part of the population compared to the delta variant. As a result, a contact tracking quarantine would become increasingly “pointless”, said Stöhr. That changes the record incidence in Bremen just as little as in Lower Saxony.

Nevertheless, many voices also warn against taking an omicron infection lightly.

Despite the often milder course, an omicron infection can lead to long-term damage, as recent international studies have shown.

Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD), RKI boss Lothar Wieler and top virologist Christian Drosten referred to this at a joint press conference on Friday.

Corona virus: Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) and virologist Christian Drosten warn of omicron

In the unanimous opinion, vaccination still offers the best protection against corona infection, which can be recognized in the early stages by some clear symptoms on the skin and nails*. Although it does not protect against infection in the case of omicron, it does protect against a severe course. Against this background, Lauterbach urged Germans to get vaccinated.

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At least in this respect, there is an important sign of relaxation in Bremen.

Because despite the high infection rate, the federal state is at the forefront, at least when it comes to vaccination.

72.4 of all Bremen residents were fully vaccinated on Friday.

50.3 percent of the population has also already received a booster vaccination.

This means that Bremen has the highest refresher rate alongside Schleswig-Holstein and Saarland.

* kreiszeitung.de and 24hamburg.de are offered by IPPEN.MEDIA.