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What the mandatory test means in concrete terms

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Anyone who does not work in the home office should receive corona tests from their employer in the future. What does that mean for companies? Who gets how many tests? And what does business say about it? The most important questions and answers.

In Germany, companies should in future have to offer their employees corona tests. The SPD declared that there was consensus in the coalition. Accordingly, the federal government is striving for a package solution: The corresponding change to the occupational health and safety ordinance is to be initiated together with the planned amendment to the Infection Protection Act in the cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

What is specifically planned?

The draft of the Ministerial Ordinance by Labor Minister Hubertus Heil is based on this ARD capital studio in front. Accordingly, it is about a test offer obligation for companies – there should be no test obligation for employees. Every employee who does not work in the home office should initially receive one test per week from the employer. If you have a lot of contacts, you should get two tests.

What does that mean for companies?

The employers have to make the tests available – but they do not have to document that their employees also use them. It would therefore be sufficient to simply send self-tests home to employees or to deposit self-tests in the office so that they are accessible to everyone. The CDU Economic Council expects the tests to cost German companies more than seven billion euros a month. Some small and medium-sized businesses couldn’t afford the hassle. Companies that have been badly hit by the Corona crisis can count the expenses for the tests as a cost item for the bridging aid.

What should the tests bring?

The quick or self-tests are intended to help detect corona infected people who do not yet feel any clear symptoms. According to scientists, however, they cannot rule out an infection. Even when used correctly, a negative test is “just less likely” to be contagious to others, explains the Robert Koch Institute. Especially with infected people without symptoms there is a risk of false-negative results. It is unclear whether you are then contagious to others or not. The test results are also only meaningful for about a day. Many people therefore doubt whether a weekly test in the office is sufficient.

How many companies already offer tests?

According to a survey commissioned by the federal government, 61 percent of employees recently had an employer who offers corona tests. Other employers had promised the employees tests. If you add this group, around 70 percent of employees received a test offer or at least it was announced to them. The federal government does not consider this to be sufficient and has so far given 90 percent as the target.

How do the companies get the tests?

In a letter to the Chancellery, the major business associations emphasized that every third company reported difficulties with availability. The federal and state governments have already reserved many of the tests on the market for students. The associations are therefore calling for tests from unused contingents to be made available to companies at low cost. Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) said at the weekend in the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”: “There are now enough tests available on the market. But you have to take care of them. Anyone who is just starting to get offers now probably needs a start-up time of two or three weeks. But no more than that. ”

How high is the risk of infection in the office anyway?

Leading aerosol researchers from Germany emphasize that Sars-CoV-2 is transmitted “almost without exception” indoors. So you can get infected not only when you meet an infected person directly, but also in an empty, poorly ventilated room in which an infected person was previously. Berlin mobility researchers are therefore demanding that multi-person offices can only be entered with a valid rapid test or after vaccination – or everyone would have to wear an FFP2 mask.

Why has the coalition now apparently agreed on the subject?

Above all, the SPD had insisted that the companies be obliged to the test offers. At first, the Union did not want that. Now, according to reports, she is taking part because she does not want to jeopardize another project: In the package with the mandatory test offer, the nationwide rules in the fight against the third corona wave are to be decided in the cabinet.

What does the economy say about it?

Business associations reject the measure. BDA General Manager Steffen Kampeter speaks of a “declaration of no confidence in the company and its employees”. The obligation to test leads to more bureaucracy and discredits the voluntary commitment of companies.