Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) – North Rhine-Westphalia’s Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU) believes that a personal contribution to the previously free citizen tests is correct in some cases. For certain groups of people, however, the tests should remain free of charge in the future, Laumann said on Wednesday in the state parliament. For example, the tests for visitors to hospitals, nursing homes or to protect people with previous illnesses should continue to be fully funded by the state. According to Laumann, free testing after isolation as a result of a corona infection should also remain free of charge. However, a cost sharing of three euros is reasonable, for example for tests before attending large events.
The federal government currently spends one billion euros on citizen tests every month, said Laumann. In NRW alone there are a good 350,000 citizen tests per day. For two to three weeks, they have had a positive rate of around ten percent.
NRW is urgently waiting for the new federal test regulation, said Laumann. Before that, he could not extend the NRW Corona Protection Ordinance, which expires on Thursday. Laumann was reappointed as Minister of Health in Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst’s new black-green cabinet on Wednesday.
Rapid tests at state and thus taxpayer costs at test stations or in pharmacies should only be available for certain risk groups in the future. Others have to pay three euros.
The new Corona Test Ordinance, which significantly restricts free tests, was published in the Federal Gazette on Wednesday. It comes into effect on Thursday.
