Continued large crowds at Corona test centers in Weilheim-Schongau - but not all stations remain open

Created: 03/31/2022, 08:01

By: Theresa Kuchler

Unchanged situation: In view of the number of infections, the rush at the test center on the Weilheimer Volksfestplatz is not surprising.

In the coming week, however, it will move to the Trifthof.

© Ralf Ruder

From Sunday, a negative corona test is no longer mandatory everywhere.

The state will continue to pay for the tests for the time being - but not all test stations in the district will remain open.

District

– It is the last chance for a rapid corona test: In Iffeldorf, the possibility of being tested for the corona virus ends today.

The voluntary fire brigade, which has made its training room available as a test center for months, will stop operations starting tomorrow.

"It's no longer worth it," says the Iffeldorf fire department commander Matthias Ott in an interview with our newspaper.

"As a rule, we don't carry out 20 tests a day." Hardly any more test persons than volunteers who take the swabs: "That doesn't make sense." Even if the state continues to cover the costs for the rapid tests until the end of May - From a purely personnel and organizational point of view, the test station is simply no longer profitable.

The test station in Iffeldorf is over - but not final

But the decision to close the Iffeldorf test station is not final.

"We still have tests and permission for them," says Ott.

This means that operations can be resumed at any time if demand increases again.

Schools and kindergartens in which the test obligation remains in place after April 3rd can continue to request the Iffeldorf fire brigade for rapid corona tests.

"We have extra lollipop tests for children."

Meanwhile, the operators of the SAV test center on Kiem-Pauli-Strasse in Schongau are far from thinking about ending the test operation.

The rush there is unbroken.

"Many only come to the test for their own safety," says Stefani Rizanovic.

"It's still extremely worth it.

We're going to do a hell of a thing and stop."

In Schongau, the demand for tests remains high

The Schongauer Marien-Apotheke will also continue to leave its test station at Marienplatz open.

"We don't intend to close," says pharmacist Klaus Flitsch.

"After all, the citizen tests will remain free for everyone until May 31." Until then, closing the test station is not considered.

However, should it become apparent from next week that the demand for rapid tests will drop significantly, the pharmacy intends to adjust its range accordingly.

“We will regulate that via the opening times,” says Flitsch.

Enya Culum from the Karwendel test station in Weilheim also still has her hands full.

“Demand isn’t dropping at the moment,” she says.

Therefore, the test stations that the Karwendel pharmacy operates in Weilheim's old town and in Oderding will remain open.

"We'll be there all April," assures Culum.

The district continues to test - from Monday at the Trifthof

The district also continues to offer rapid PCR and antigen tests for the corona virus.

From next Monday, however, at a new location: The test center, which was based at the Weilheimer Volksfestplatz for almost two years, will move to the Dr.

Karl-Slevogt-Strasse 6 at the Trifthof.

Nothing changes except for the address.

"Even at the new location, the test center is basically organized as a drive-through," says the district office.

At the Penzberg corona test site in Im Thal, on the other hand, it is still a little unclear how things will continue from next week.

"We had actually considered reducing the opening times," says employee Martina Gundhardt.

"But now we are realizing that an extremely large number of people are still coming to test." So for the time being, there is no question that the test station will end.

"We're still here.

How and to what extent remains to be seen.” If demand falls, the team can react quite flexibly and adjust the offer at short notice, says Gundhardt.

"We'll take it our way."

By the way:

Everything from the region is now also available in our regular Schongau newsletter.