Quick test positive: What Berliners now have to consider if they suspect Corona
Queuing for PCR test
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What Berliners are currently paying attention to with a positive rapid test When
Sa 08.01.22 | 8:30 p.m. | from
The spread of the Omikron variant is pushing the test centers of the Berlin Health Senate to their capacity limits. Some have to endure the cold – some are sent home without a PCR test. By Roberto Jurkschat
In view of the rapidly increasing incidence values of the spread of the Omikron variant, the rush in the state-owned Berlin test centers has increased enormously. In the past week, people reported on the Internet and in conversation with rbbl24 about waiting times for hours in front of the centers in Neukölln, Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg and the test center in Wedding.
In Neukölln in particular, where the seven-day incidence on Saturday was 887.3, complaints about the test station of the Senate Department for Health have accumulated, as a spokesman for the district administration rbbl24 announced.
Four hours of waiting outdoors
In front of the red brick building on Neuköllner Leinestrasse, the queue always stretches around 300 meters to Hermannstrasse. Some people waiting cough, others sit exhausted on the windowsill of the café on the sidewalk.
A spokesman for the Neukölln district administration spoke to rbbl24 of “huge problems” with the operation of the state’s own test center. Most of the complaints concern the capacity of the station. “The staff is not nearly sufficient to cover the need for rapid tests and PCR tests, the waiting times are apparently sometimes up to four hours,” it says. “The rush was foreseeable because of the spread of Omikron.”
In social networks, Berliners also report long waiting times with reference to other state-owned test centers.
“People with a cough or fever are said to have been sent away”
At the request of the Senate Department for Health, the current capacity problems are known. “The health administration is aware that there are currently long lines and waiting times in front of the senate’s own test centers,” said a spokeswoman. “This is not a good state of affairs and we take it very seriously.” An extension of the opening times, more staff or the commissioning of private test centers are therefore conceivable.
In Neukölln, however, there is always confusion about who is allowed to be tested in the Leinestrasse. “People with a cough or fever are said to have been sent away several times,” said a spokesman for the district.
In fact, according to the health administration, the facilities offered are only available to symptom-free people – a special rule that many people do not know and which in Neukölln is often frustrated by patients. They were apparently referred to a family doctor for a PCR test – or the possibility of a home visit by the mobile smear team at the health department in Neukölln’s Blaschkoallee.
What to do in the event of a positive corona rapid test?
The question of what happens after a positive rapid test is not easy to answer is not quite straightforward. The whole thing is roughly regulated in the country’s Corona regulation. This means that a positive rapid test should be followed by a PCR test as quickly as possible.
First, however, the question arises, in addition to the positive rapid test, corona symptoms are also involved. If not, a free PCR test with presentation of the test result is available in a Covid-19 family doctor’s practice or in one of the eleven state-owned test stations (berlin.de) possible.
Even those who can show a red warning message in the Corona app, have been verifiably identified as contact persons for infected people or receive transfer payments do not have to pay for a PCR test themselves.
However, if you have corona symptoms such as fever, sore throat or cough, you can get a free PCR test; officially only in the Covid 19 family doctor practices listed by the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (kvberlin.de). “Various general practitioners’ practices in Berlin have agreed to treat patients who have typical symptoms of COVID-19 and who suspect a possible illness, provided they cannot turn to their own general practitioner,” says the Berliner Health management on request from rbbl24.
No more quarantine for those who have been boosted
The quarantine regulations will be in Berlin (current regulations of the districts) will change again soon after the conference of the federal government with the ministers of the federal states. On Friday, the participants decided that boosted contact persons will be exempted from the quarantine obligation in the future.
This also applies after a fresh second vaccination and for people who have recently recovered if the vaccination or infection was not more than three months ago. For others, the quarantine is to be shortened from 14 days to ten days. You can test yourself free after a proven infection or as a contact person after seven days by a PCR or certified antigen rapid test. This also takes into account the challenges for the critical infrastructure, according to the decision paper.
In order to protect endangered groups, the staff of certain facilities, for example in hospitals and nursing homes, can generally only test themselves free with a PCR test. Schoolchildren and daycare children should be able to free themselves after just five days. “These regulations are strong, but pragmatic,” said Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD).
Broadcast: evening show, January 8th, 2022, 7.30 p.m.