As of today, rapid corona tests are no longer free: chaos at Berlin test centers
The tests are still free for children under five, for example, if you want to visit someone in the hospital or live with someone in the household who is infected with Corona. “If there is no entitlement to free or 3-euro tests, the tests are subject to a fee,” writes the state of Berlin. These costs could vary depending on the testing site.
“Happig, but what do you want to do”
“Well, then you write visits from risk patients,” says Zander to the employee after he has explained the new rules to him. No chance, it stays at ten euros. “Happig, but what do you want to do,” says Zander and pays. “See you, my dear,” he says to the blue-coated test site employee after he has pushed the stick up his nose.
For the employee it is not the first encounter with this art today. “There is complete confusion,” says the young man, who prefers not to give his name. “The government didn’t think it through at all.” He, too, has to keep checking his laptop to find out what now applies to whom.
In addition to the more complicated rules, those who want to test must also prove their entitlement. “Anyone planning a visit to the hospital needs confirmation from the hospital,” says the employee. And how should you prove that you are visiting a person at risk privately? “In some things I trust people, there’s no other way.” The new rules have increased the effort significantly. “It used to take one to two minutes per customer, now it’s six to ten,” says the employee.
Waiting for the mail from the hospital
Even at a test site a few hundred meters further down the Schloßstraße, the required evidence leads to problems. Uwe Stephan would like to visit someone in the hospital. That’s why he’s trying to get that from the hospital right now. After half an hour, the mail comes from the hospital, he can be tested free of charge. “It worked fairly quickly, but the hospitals can’t do that all the time,” he says.
The line at the test container is not particularly long here, maybe ten people are waiting. But just go, chopsticks in, gone, is over since today. Patrick Varjao-Moldenhauer also waited almost half an hour, despite having an appointment. “I’ve been here many times, otherwise it’s much faster,” he says. His test was in vain because he wants to test himself free after surviving the infection.