Stamp: Kitas can switch from PCR to rapid tests

Created: 01/26/2022, 13:36

A child plays in a day care center.

© Sebastian Gollnow/dpa/Illustration

In view of the laboratory bottlenecks in the evaluation of corona PCR tests, the North Rhine-Westphalian Minister for Family Affairs Joachim Stamp (FDP) offered affected daycare centers to quickly switch to the rapid test system.

Around 27 to 29 percent of the children in the NRW daycare centers are currently being tested for the virus with PCR pool tests, Stamp said on Wednesday in the state parliament in Düsseldorf.

Düsseldorf - The ministry offered the youth welfare offices that had established such a test system to return to the state's rapid test delivery system at short notice.

At the beginning of April, the ministry made rapid corona tests available for all children in the daycare centers.

Where the laboratory capacities allowed, the state also enabled the municipalities to switch to PCR pool tests and supported them financially, Stamp said.

At the same time, Stamp, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, rejected allegations by the opposition that the state government had caused chaos in the short-term conversion of the corona test system in elementary schools.

Stamp defended his FDP party colleague, school minister Yvonne Gebauer.

The test system did not collapse, but Gebauer presented a solution.

The SPD, on the other hand, has constantly demanded PCR pool tests not only for schools, but also for all daycare centers.

"We would have had a collapse in laboratory capacity if we (...) had followed your completely absurd suggestion," said Stamp.

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Due to tight capacities and an increasing number of corona cases, there have been short-term changes for elementary school students in lollipop PCR tests since Wednesday.

The background is that the federal and state governments had decided to give preference to sensitive areas such as hospitals and care for the PCR tests that are considered more reliable.

Schools are not included.

Gebauer has "developed the best test system for our schools in Germany," said Stamp.

The PCR pool test system in primary schools was "unique" in Germany and a role model for other countries.

dpa