There will also be free rapid corona tests for risk groups in Germany over the summer – but for everyone else the “citizen tests” will cost three euros in the future. This was announced by Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) on Friday in Berlin after the government had reached an agreement on a new test regulation that should apply from June 30th.
Lauterbach said he would have liked to continue free citizen tests for everyone. In view of the costs of an average of one billion euros per month, the federal government can no longer afford this in the tight budget situation. The new concept now envisages expenditures of 2.7 billion euros by the end of the year – if fully taken over, up to five billion euros would have been expected.
Free rapid tests should continue to be possible for vulnerable groups in the future, including children up to five years of age, women at the beginning of pregnancy and visitors to clinics and nursing homes. The federal states would have the option of taking over the own contribution of three euros for other groups as well.
