Now, after Vienna, it is also supposed to be gargled in Salzburg. PCR gargle tests can be picked up free of charge at 54 dispensing stations at Spar, Eurospar, Interspar and in the Anif and Bruck Maxim markets on Glocknerstrasse. The tests carried out are then to be handed in at 241 dispensing stations across the entire state of Salzburg: for example in 118 municipal offices, 107 Spar supermarkets and 16 McDonald’s branches. All stations and the exact process are open sbg-gurgelt.at to find. The gargle tests for 3-G verification are valid for 72 hours. The results can be imported into the Green Pass. In Salzburg, the tests are carried out by Novogenia GmbH in Eugendorf. It should take an average of less than 20 hours from the sample collection at home to the result.

This is how the PCR gargle test works

The State of Salzburg informed on Monday in a broadcast about the exact sequence of a PCR gargle test:

• Pick up the free PCR-Gurgel-Set at the issuing point: at SPAR, EUROSPAR, INTERSPAR and in the Maxim markets Anif and Bruck an der Glocknerstraße. The output is limited to a test package with ten pieces for a household of up to three people.
• Register sbg-gurgelt.at, then click “Test Now” to create a personal sample account. When registering, a sheet of labels is bound to the account and the person.
• Register probe and gargle. Log in with your details and follow the digital instructions.
• Throw in samples at the drop-off point: in 118 municipal offices, 107 SPAR stores and 16 McDonald’s branches. The sample must be thrown into a collection box within two hours of taking the sample. It is important to throw in the sample by 10 a.m. in order to get a result by the next day.
• Result within 20 to 24 hours. As soon as the result is available, you will receive an SMS with a link to the analysis results as a PDF. The password required there is your date of birth.

Haslauer: “Will switch to the 2.5 G rule”

As Governor Wilfried Haslauer (ÖVP) announced last week, Salzburg will “soon switch to the 2.5 G rule”. This means that only PCR tests are valid. Antigen tests would no longer be accepted for free or entry tests. The hit rate in PCR tests is five times higher than in the antigen test, argued Haslauer. Most recently, 110,000 antigen tests performed weekly in the test lanes were 85 positive, while 19,000 PCR tests had 90 positive results.

The big partners for the PCR gargle tests in Salzburg are the Spar Group and McDonald’s – and not the Rewe branches like in Vienna. In addition, according to Haslauer spokesman Christian Pucher, the Red Cross and the municipal authorities will be integrated into the test infrastructure.

“Huge logistical effort”

The logistics are necessary in the federal state like Salzburg as already in comparison to a big city in Vienna, therefore more partners are in advance. The state of Salzburg announced in a broadcast on Monday that the system will take a few days to get used to it. Everyone is also urged not to hoard the tests as they are there to be used in the short term rather than to pile them up at home for future waves of pandemics. Everyone can get their starter kit. A package with ten tests and three QR code sheets is enough for an average household of three people for one week. The country is watching the start and adjusting the demand exactly and will continue to offer accordingly.