Test stations in Tölzer Land: Less demand, less supply

Since the new regulation came into force, the number of corona test stations in the district has decreased.

Only a few tests are free.

Nursing home visitors are the main visitors.

Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen – It caused a lot of discussion when a new corona test regulation came into force at the end of June.

Since then, the rapid tests have only been free for citizens in certain exceptional cases.

Since then, the demand for the professionally conducted tests has fallen significantly in the district, and the number of test stations has also decreased.

Often there are only tests on request

Anyone who gets information about quick test stations on the website of the district office and clicks on to the providers from there often reads the sentence: "Only individual tests on request".

The "low demand" is sometimes explicitly mentioned as the reason for this.

Some of the stations are also on vacation.

There are still extensive opening hours at the test station on Neuer Platz in Geretsried

Meanwhile, Panagiotis Zormpas, who runs a test station at Neuer Platz in Geretsried, maintains his relatively extensive opening hours.

He tests from Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from Sunday from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

"There's a lot going on here because we're now apparently the only test station in the area," says Zormpas.

The former test station in Gustavo Gusto's sales booth on Böhmerwaldstraße has not been in operation for several weeks, and the test station on Sudetenstraße is also closed.

"People are happy that we're still here," says Zormpas.

That's why he even "cancelled" the planned company vacation, he says.

Most of those who come want to visit someone in the hospital or nursing home

Zormpas estimates that "80 to 90 percent" of his customers are currently being tested because they want to visit relatives in the hospital or nursing home.

Then there are still some who want to test themselves from the corona isolation, or who live in the same household with an infected person: They all belong to the groups for which the test is still free or is paid for by the federal government.

Hardly anyone comes who has to pay for the test

The clientele who come to Eva Löhle in the “Alte Apotheke” in Lenggries for testing is made up in a similar way.

According to the pharmacist, “a few more” can be swabbed.

"But there are hardly any who pay themselves," she explains.

By the way: Everything from the region is now also available in our regular Bad Tölz newsletter.

You can have yourself tested in the “Alte Apotheke” from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., on Saturdays only from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Registration is requested.

The procedure has “levelled out,” says Löhle.

The customers mark the reason for their test on a form and sign it.

The pharmacists do not have to check this.

In Benediktbeuern, testing is only carried out in the early morning

In Benediktbeuern, Maren Porzelt, owner of the Marien pharmacy, holds the position with her test station - "thanks to Pastor Heiner Heim and the testers Alexandra and Marianne", as she emphasizes on her homepage.

Because the test is opposite the pharmacy in an anteroom of the vicarage, from 7:30 to 8:30 in the morning.

The demand has "ebbed away," explains the pharmacist when asked.

First and foremost, they are “regular customers” who regularly visit relatives in the home.

"Now in the summer, there are also a few tourists," says Porzelt.

"Sometimes they feel a little lost because they can't find any other test option in the Loisach Valley and don't necessarily want to get up so early to test."

In Bad Tölz, the main clientele are the hospital visitors

Pharmacist Andreas Heinrich describes the demand for quick tests in his test center, which he still operates in the Tölz Vitality Center, as “cautious”.

According to Heinrich, an average of 10 to 30 tests a day still take place there.

It is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., on Saturdays only from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Because of the physical proximity to the Asklepios city clinic, hospital visitors are his main clientele, he says, "otherwise hardly anyone comes".

Pharmacist Heinrich complains about the lack of planning security

The owner of the Tölzer Kur-Apotheke in Tölz and the St.-Jakobus-Apotheke in Lenggries describes the test offer as "service to the community".

But he keeps thinking about "pulling the ripcord".

He is currently annoyed that the Bavarian Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KVB) has suspended payments to the test centers – which means that he currently has to pay in advance for the tests.

"Planning reliability looks different," says Heinrich.

He wants to monitor the situation until the end of August and then decide how to proceed with his test station.

You can find more current news from the region around Bad Tölz at Merkur.de/Bad Tölz.