Germany will again offer free corona tests from Saturday. The cut in costs for citizens comes at a time when the country is grappling with ever-rising corona figures.
Health Minister Jens Spahn has also announced that doctors will receive higher reimbursements for taking corona vaccinations.
On Thursday, more than 50,000 new infections were registered within a day for the first time since the start of the pandemic. That was slightly less on Friday, with 48,640 reports. The number of confirmed cases per 100,000 inhabitants in a week thus rises to 263.7. The weekly average has risen to a record high every day since Monday.
In Germany, the call for stricter measures against the coronavirus is growing. The Robert Koch Institute for Disease Control (RKI) also argues for more restrictions. According to Spahn, “everything must be done to break the current dynamics”. He warned that December would otherwise be a “bitter” month for all of Germany but did not recommend a new lockdown.
However, the minister called for the introduction of the so-called 2G measure. Only people who have been vaccinated against or have recovered from Covid-19 can then visit certain locations, which means that unvaccinated people will be banned. That plan is supported by the three parties that are now negotiating a new government coalition.
