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He met with another important politician, one who plays a central role in the pandemic in Germany: Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn tested positive for the corona virus on Wednesday afternoon. This was announced by his ministry. He is the federal prime minister who has been shown to be infected. Spahn had attended the cabinet meeting that morning.
Spahn himself told the “Bild” newspaper: “I am in domestic isolation and so far I have only developed cold symptoms.” His spokesman, Hanno Kautz, told the newspaper about the chronological order: “In the afternoon he had cold symptoms and was tested directly.”
The ministry also said: “All contact persons will be kept updated.” Chancellor Angela Merkel wished Spahn a speedy recovery, as a government spokesman for the German Press Agency said.
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According to a spokesperson, members of the federal government do not have to be locked in quarantine. A government spokesman said the cabinet will meet in compliance with hygiene and distance rules, which aim to avoid the need to quarantine others or even all participants in the event that one person tests positive. .
In pictures from the cabinet meeting, Spahn can be seen wearing mouth and nose protection like the other cabinet members. At the table, the masks are removed.
Family Minister Franziska Giffey (SPD) tested negative for Corona on Wednesday afternoon. As a spokeswoman for the German press agency said, it was a quick test. Another will follow.
Spahn had participated in the cabinet meeting at the Federal Chancellery that morning and spoke to Giffey on the sidelines, as the photos show. The reason for the family minister’s test was, above all, the joint press conference last Friday on the situation of daycare centers in the pandemic, he said. Giffey had sat on the podium with the Minister of Health for a long time.
“The conditions in the Federal Chancellery and especially in the international conference room, where the weekly cabinet meetings take place, have been particularly optimized with regard to protection against infections and have been professionally controlled by the health department from Berlin-Mitte, “the spokesman continued. The cabinet meets there at a large round table. There are several places available between the participants.
Time and time again, leading German politicians had to go into quarantine due to risky encounters.. At the beginning of the pandemic in Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) was also quarantined at her home for almost two weeks as a precaution in March because she had been vaccinated by a doctor who was found to be infected with the coronavirus shortly after.
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On Saturday there was an infection in the vicinity of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. His bodyguard was shown to be infected with the corona virus. Since then, two tests by the head of state have come back negative. The responsible health department has determined that the head of state must remain in quarantine until October 29.
Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) had already entered quarantine on Monday due to a warning via the Corona app. Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) and Economy Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU) had also temporarily isolated themselves at the end of September. A bodyguard was also infected near Maas. Altmaier went into quarantine as a precautionary measure because an employee of an EU minister who was present with him at a meeting of EU trade ministers in Berlin tested positive. (with dpa, Reuters)
