Wüst only noticed the positive corona test in Israel belatedly

Created: 03/23/2022, 11:29 am

Hendrik Wüst (CDU), Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia.

© Ralph Sondermann/state of North Rhine-Westphalia/dpa/archive image

During his trip to Israel, North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) only noticed a positive corona test result about three hours late and in the meantime he was still holding official appointments.

However, two other PCR tests had previously been negative and had also been recognized by the Israeli authorities, said a spokesman for the State Chancellery on Wednesday.

Düsseldorf/Jerusalem - According to the requirements of the Israeli health authorities, Wüst was released from the quarantine for travelers on Sunday evening last week.

"There was no reason to doubt these two negative test results."

Entry rules in Israel are strict.

A first PCR test must be negative before departure.

A second mandatory PCR test follows at the airport in Israel, and travelers sometimes have to wait up to 24 hours for the result.

With another, faster test that is also accepted by Israel's health authorities, those entering the country can test themselves freely.

According to the State Chancellery, the entire delegation, including Prime Minister Wüst, made use of this.

This test was negative for Wüst, but positive for a bodyguard.

Then, according to the State Chancellery, the head of government received the message on his mobile phone on Monday afternoon last week during a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial that the result of the obligatory PCR test was available.

He called up the test result online with his passport data about three hours later in the afternoon after an appointment with Israel's Economics Minister Orna Barbivai and a cabinet meeting followed by a press statement, it said.

This test was positive and Wüst immediately went into isolation.

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The delegation, other interlocutors and the public were informed immediately.

Curious: With Wüst's bodyguard, the PCR tests were reversed: the obligatory PCR test was negative, the express test positive.

Wüst has been in quarantine in a hotel in Jerusalem for a week and a half because of his corona infection.

According to the Israeli health authorities, the head of government in North Rhine-Westphalia is now considered to have recovered.

However, the stricter rules in North Rhine-Westphalia and Germany are decisive for his return.

According to Wüst, he could only return to Germany after the regular isolation period of ten days had expired, on Thursday at the latest.

As a result, he missed the Ukraine debate in the state parliament on Wednesday.

dpa