Should rapid tests cost something in the future? Some hope that this will put pressure on all those who refuse to be vaccinated. But warn others. On Tuesday, the federal and state governments will discuss this – and the entire strategy for autumn.
Before the Prime Minister’s Conference with Chancellor Angela Merkel this Tuesday, there are strong voices for an end to the free offer of corona rapid tests. The Prime Ministers of Lower Saxony and Baden-Württemberg, Stephan Weil (SPD) and Winfried Kretschmann (Greens), both spoke out in favor. SPD chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz also pleaded for it again in the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” (Monday).
A proposal by the Federal Ministry of Health provides for mid-October as the date for this. It is only about those people for whom there is a vaccination recommendation from the Standing Vaccination Commission – i.e., according to the current status, no children – and for whom there are no medical reasons against it.
“I think it is expressly right that unvaccinated people have to pay for their tests themselves from autumn onwards. Until then, everyone had the opportunity to get vaccinated free of charge,” Weil told the Berlin “Tagesspiegel” (Monday). Kretschmann said that “Stuttgarter Zeitung / Stuttgarter Nachrichten” (Monday): “In the long run, the public purse will not be able to finance the tests. That is also a question of fair burden sharing, because there is a free vaccination offer for everyone.”
On the other hand, FDP parliamentary group vice Stephan Thomae advised: “Keeping the tests free of charge for as long as possible, including up to 2022, is money well spent.” This also applies to those who have recovered and who have been vaccinated, he told the German Press Agency. Because although they are largely protected from disease, they can still carry the virus.
In view of the renewed increase in the number of infections, the state leaders and Merkel want to advise on Tuesday how the forthcoming fourth wave can be kept flat. “Germany must not go into the autumn defenseless and defenseless,” said CSU General Secretary Markus Blume in the “Bild” Internet format “The Right Questions”. The question of However, testing costs is only one of the issues that Merkel and the prime ministers should be concerned with. Further questions are:
How can the vaccination campaign be boosted?
So far, around 55 percent of the population have received the vaccinations necessary for full protection – too little to prevent a new big wave. But the vaccination rate has decreased significantly. Most recently, only around half a million people were vaccinated for the first time within a week – at the peak in May it was more than a million in one day.
FDP parliamentary group Vice Stephan Thomae called for an “unagitated awareness campaign” to dispel fears. This would be better than “reinforcing reservations with threats of direct or indirect compulsory vaccination,” he told the German press agency.
For whom should there be restrictions, if necessary again?
Weil said that despite the sluggish vaccination rate, many people have now been vaccinated. “Against this background, massive restrictions, such as we still had in spring, are no longer appropriate.” For Kretschmann, the following applies in principle: “We will largely remove restrictions on vaccinated and convalescent people.” For those who have not been vaccinated, access to events or facilities will be “subject to conditions” because of the higher risk of infection. Measures such as the mask requirement in buses and trains will be “retained for the time being”.
However, Scholz rejected the deliberations of the health department of Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) to generally no longer admit unvaccinated people to events in an emergency – not even with a negative rapid test. “It is important to me that those who do not want to be vaccinated continue to have the opportunity to take part in public life through tests,” he said “Süddeutsche Zeitung” (Monday).
The question is: what kind of tests? Hamburg’s Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD) advocated equating unvaccinated people with a negative PCR test and those who have recovered. “Rapid antigen tests are not reliable enough,” said the Former doctors of the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” (Monday).
Should there be any restrictions at all?
The chairman of the Bundestag health committee, Erwin Rüddel (CDU), questions this. “The message must come that there will be no more automatic lockdowns – not even only for those who have not been vaccinated,” he told the “Bild” newspaper, referring to the federal / state counseling. “The question arises as to whether our society cannot also withstand providing adequate care for those who deliberately do not allow themselves to be vaccinated and then become seriously ill, instead of frightening and damaging the entire country and the economy with the sword of Damocles of lockdown . “
And if so, what should the criterion be?
There seems to be a broad consensus in politics: The seven-day incidence – i.e. the number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants and week – should no longer be alone. In addition, parameters such as the vaccination rate and the utilization of the Hospitals.
At first glance, the situation seems relaxed: the incidence is a good 21. However, it has been rising continuously for around a month. And that earlier and faster than last summer at the same time when the third wave followed. At that time there were no vaccinations – but also no delta variant, which, unlike earlier variants, does not only spread after prolonged contact, but rather during encounters “in passing”, as the vice president of the Doctors of the health service, Elke Bruns-Philipps, had recently said.
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