Corona tests soon to be radically restricted?

Health ministers discuss new strategy - draft leaks

Created: 01/18/2022, 10:05 am

By: Felix Durach

An employee at the EcoCare Corona Test Center in the Tango Terminal at Hamburg Airport holds a test stick for a nose and throat swab.

© Christian Charisius/dpa

A change in the test strategy will be discussed at the health ministers' conference on Monday.

PCR tests could be restricted in the future.

Magdeburg - The health ministers of the federal states and Karl Lauterbach will also discuss the future of the test strategy against the corona virus in Germany at the health ministers' conference in Magdeburg on Monday evening.

Above all, an application by the state of Berlin caused a stir.

As can be seen from a draft decision, the applicants propose that in future PCR tests should only be restricted to “symptomatic people and possibly vulnerable groups”.

Health ministers discuss test strategy: PCR tests could be severely restricted

One of the reasons given for the demand is an imminent overload of laboratory capacity* due to the highly contagious Omicron variant.

In Berlin, the demand is currently in some cases greater than the available supply.

The chairman of the health ministers' conference: Bavaria's health minister Klaus Holetschek (CSU).

© Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa

According to the application, a PCR test as confirmation should be dispensed with for people with a symptom-free corona infection after a positive rapid test.

Even if the Corona-Warn-App turns red, only a quick test should be carried out in the future.

A free test from quarantine or isolation should then also be carried out using a quick test.

"High-quality and, if necessary, laboratory-based antigen tests" should be used.

According to the application, exceptions to the regulations are only intended for employees in hospitals, nursing homes and other areas of critical infrastructure.