Chancellor Angela Merkel is seeking a meeting with state prime ministers “as soon as possible” to coordinate anti-pandemic policies, while the health minister is restoring free diagnostic tests, which were abolished a month ago. At the same time, the Bavarian government is declaring the state a “state of disaster.”
According to a decision by the Minister of Health Jens Span, it is likely that from next week the citizens will have access to at least one free test per week, as was the case until October 11.
“One should not be prevented from being audited for financial reasons,” the health ministry said in a statement, according to the German News Agency (dpa).
The same decision also stipulates that hospitals must report the vaccination status of their patients and the number of pregnant women who are treated in an Intensive Care Unit.
In Bavaria, the government recently announced that it is again declaring the state a “state of disaster” due to the rapid increase in the number of coronavirus cases. This legal framework allows for a coordinated and structured approach by all authorities, bodies and services involved in disaster control. Previously, Bavaria was in a “state of disaster” from December 9, 2020 until June 4, 2021. Today, the rate of new cases per 100,000 inhabitants in seven days reached 395.4, while in the Rotal-In region it exceeded 1100. The situation in hospitals, especially in the Intensive Care Units, has deteriorated significantly, with the result that “the pandemic threatens the life and health of many people throughout Bavaria,” the statement said.
According to Chancellor Angela Merkel, however, according to government spokesman Stephen Seibert, a meeting with the prime ministers of the states should be held “as soon as possible”, in order to take uniform and coordinated measures. She, Mr. Seibert noted, is therefore in close contact with all participants, as well as with representatives of the possible future government. According to the RND Network, Mrs. Merkel is dissatisfied with the plans of the three parties of the “traffic light” coalition (SPD, Greens, FDP) to deal with the pandemic.
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