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Germany starts COVID testing drive in bid to end lockdown
German state, federal and public health officials have spent weeks debating if and how to roll out rapid tests for mass use, as other countries have been doing for months. A plan for that has finally taken shape.
Nurse in protective gear taking a swab from the back of a woman’s throat
Every person in Germany will be entitled to a weekly COVID test
The days of shelling out €25 or even €50 ($30-60) for a rapid test may be numbered. The latest pandemic plan agreed to late Wednesday between Chancellor Angela Merkel and 16 state leaders, puts forward a complex, step-by-step guide to moving Germany out of lockdown. But little can happen without sufficient testing.
The federal government is expected to start picking up the tab for rapid tests starting next week.
Every person in Germany will be entitled to a weekly test, either from a test center, medical practice, or place of work, administered by trained personnel. Schools and day cares are a particular focus, as a means of getting kids and teachers safely and regularly back in the classroom.