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Federal Health Minister Spahn tested positive for the corona virus just hours after a cabinet meeting. It is in quarantine. The rest of the cabinet does not have to isolate itself, according to Spahn’s spokesman.
Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn tested positive for the corona virus. This was announced by his spokesman Hanno Kautz. Spahn immediately went into domestic isolation.
Spahn only developed cold symptoms during the day and then got tested. The CDU politician is the federal prime minister who has been shown to be infected.
I attended the cabinet meeting hours before
In the morning, Spahn had attended a cabinet meeting in Berlin, in which Chancellor Angela Merkel was also present. Spahn always wears mouth and nose protection at such gatherings.
A government spokesman said the other members of the cabinet do not have to go into quarantine as one. During the meetings, precautionary measures such as the minimum distance or the use of a mask would be observed, so that even if a person who later tested positive participated, it would not be necessary to quarantine others or even all participants.
In addition, “in the Federal Chancellery and in particular in the International Conference Room, where weekly cabinet meetings take place,” the conditions for protection against infections were “particularly optimized,” the government spokesman said. That had been verified by the Berlin-Mitte health department.
In cabinet meetings, participants gather at a large round table, in which various seats are currently left between individual members, according to the government spokesman.
According to Spahn’s spokesman, the minister’s potential contacts are currently identified and informed despite these security precautions.
Health expert Karl Lauterbach supported the decision against quarantine for all members of the cabinet. “Strict protection measures are being enforced. And: The people are systemically relevant. Ministers must continue to work with a mask,” he told the “Rheinische Post.” However, Lauterbach advocated that members of the government should undergo regular crown tests, possibly every two to three days.
Receive good wishes for Spahn
North Rhine-Westphalia Prime Minister Armin Laschet wished Spahn an early improvement in his health in a tweet and praised the minister’s commitment to fighting the pandemic. In addition to Laschet, Chancellor Merkel, Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder Spahn wished them all the best.
SPD health expert Lauterbach and deputy leader of the party’s parliamentary group, Katja Mast, also sent the minister wishes for recovery. Compared to the “Welt” television station, Lauterbach said he hoped Spahn could continue his official activities and not become seriously ill.
Spahn already appreciated the wishes of recovery and confirmed in the “Bild” that until now he had suffered from cold symptoms. “First of all, it is important to me that all contact persons are informed quickly and that everyone stays healthy,” Spahn said.
Several politicians are already suspected of being crown
In addition to Spahn, several politicians were already suspected of contracting the corona virus, such as Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. One of his bodyguards was infected. Since then, Steinmeier has tested negative for infection twice. The head of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, also had to be examined within her office staff after a corona case, also with a negative result.
Several members of the government cabinet had already entered quarantine as a precautionary measure: the federal Minister of Labor, Hubertus Heil, recently announced this step because the Corona warning application had reported a possible contact with an infected person. According to the Ministry of Heils, the result of an initial test was negative. However, a second test will be awaited.
Last month, the federal economy minister, Peter Altmaier, and the foreign minister, Heiko Maas, also isolated themselves.
Merkel had already entered quarantine as a precautionary measure in March, as a doctor who had previously vaccinated the Chancellor had tested positive.
