The regulation on the Austrian testing strategy that will apply from Friday is an April Fools’ Day joke – anyone who imposes it will get the proof for free.
“My throat suddenly clears” or “I finally want to see grandma again”. In some states you have to lie to those responsible for possible facial symptoms, in others a wrong check online is enough for the right result – the next free test!
In the words of Viennese Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ), it recently sounded like this: “If you can actually continue to do free tests in such cases, I am sure that many people in the transition period will have symptoms.” start with the sudden complaints and visits from now on, but the new testing strategy with only five free PCR and five antigen tests per month applies – but it comes off as a bad April Fool’s Day joke.
Because there are so many exceptions and loopholes to the hoped-for reduction and financial savings that anyone who wants to will likely continue to get a free trial. These are possible for residents, visitors and employees of nursing and retirement homes or hospitals, and even for symptoms or free testing there is no limit. Anyone who has hoarded tests at home can take a total of 10 PCR tests in April.
Because the federal government shifts responsibility, each state has its own strategy. For example, if you want to do a sixth test at “Alles gurgelt!” in Vienna, after logging in, click on one of the exceptions and you will receive a personalized barcode. This gives you a free test in the Bipa location. Test tracks, throat boxes and cold check boxes also remain open, especially for the elderly for whom the online offer is too much of a barrier. Pharmacies must also remain involved, although they can no longer settle accounts with the federal government.
How should countries check the reasons?
A spokesman for the Ministry of Health tells the “Krone”: “The federal states must ensure what the test is used for. If you do not have a plausible reason, it can certainly happen that the citizen has to pay for it.” Because the federal states fix the money in advance, there are no uniform guidelines here either.
Source: Krone
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