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Everyone wants more speed when testing in Germany. But how exactly should it be organized? Helge Braun refers to countries. The director of the Foreign Ministry sees the trips at Easter as “very skeptical.”
The Chancellery holds the federal states responsible for providing rapid tests. “It was never agreed that the federal government should order rapid tests for the federal states. That is the task of the federal states themselves,” Chancellor Head Helge Braun told the newspapers of the Funke media group (Saturday). “The federal government pays, but it doesn’t create the infrastructure, and it doesn’t buy the tests either. You can buy it on the market now.” Test centers would also have to be built on site. The head of the Chancellery appealed to the population to use the test options “very intensively” and to companies to test their employees for the Crown.
Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn stressed on Friday that there were “more than enough rapid tests.” The CDU politician also emphasized that as of Monday the federal government will bear the costs of offering all citizens a rapid test per week. These tests are performed by trained personnel. Many countries have announced that they want to start. The federal states are responsible for establishing test sites in centers or pharmacies, for example.
Criticism of the test strategy
However, the CSU and the Greens criticized the federal government’s test strategy. CSU Secretary General Markus Blume told “Welt” (Saturday): “Testing is the bridge to vaccinations for everyone. But sadly, we see again here: too late, too slow, too little was ordered. You have to be clear, the errors must have been made in the Federal Ministry of Health. Now, finally, it must be delivered. ” Green leader Annalena Baerbock accused the federal government of “shirking its responsibility.” “She could have submitted a test strategy a long time ago and bought many millions of tests, but after months now she is creating a task force,” party leader Annalena Baerbock told the publishing network in Germany (RND / Saturday ).
The German Association of Cities and Municipalities also loses clarity when conducting tests. “The municipalities are basically ready to support this project and establish rapid test centers,” said executive director Gerd Landsberg of the “Rheinische Post” (Saturday). However, municipalities “now need the federal government to quickly clarify who assumes what tasks, for example, when acquiring the evidence.” Additionally, you need a sensitive digital solution for recording test results and for assigning test appointments.
Road to greater normality
Social associations demanded improvements to the test strategy. The president of VdK Germany, Verena Bentele, told the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” (Saturday): “One free test per person per week is not enough, especially when attendance at events depends on a negative test result.” Bentele also addressed the cost of masks and disinfectants for recipients of basic income support. She and Paritätischer Gesamtverband managing director Werner Hesse demanded that the federal government increase the monthly basic security amount by 100 euros during the pandemic.
The head of the chancellery, Helge Braun, at the cabinet meeting (file image). The CDU politician sees positive signs of relaxation in the summer. (Source: Michael Kappeler // Reuters)
Comprehensive testing and advances in vaccination should accompany the path to greater normalcy in everyday life. The head of the chancellery, Braun, assumes that the deliveries of vaccines “will increase significantly from May.” At the end of June and beginning of July you will have to inoculate ten more times a day. All general practitioners, company doctors and vaccination centers would be working at full capacity. “So we quickly finished with the entire population ready to be vaccinated,” Braun told the Funke newspaper.
“Travel more relaxed since Pentecost”
“Very skeptical,” he said with a view to the Easter holidays. For the summer holidays it is “a bit daring to speculate about it.” However, Braun emphasized: “I’m pretty sure that in the summer, like last year, we will be able to move quite normally outside.” The issue of travel is more complicated because the virus spreads through the mobility of people. “But I suppose that from Pentecost we will be able to talk much more relaxed about travel and free time,” said the head of the Foreign Ministry.
Lower Saxony Prime Minister Stephan Weil does not want to cancel the Easter license entirely. “I still cannot give you a reliable answer,” said the SPD politician of the “Rheinische Post” (Saturday). “We are scheduled to make decisions on this in the next federal-state round on March 22. In my opinion, it is too late because people have to make plans in advance,” Weil said. He added: “I am counting on the fact that we will know a lot more about what we can do with the new test concepts by March 22. These concepts may also provide a basis for the closure of holiday apartments and perhaps even partially the opening of Hotels. “
