Germany continues to call for a European Covid-19 screening strategy for those returning from high-risk countries.
Speaking on the German public channel ARD on Monday 3 August and quoted by the Belga press agency, German Health Minister Jens Spahn expressed his wish to generalise screening tests. “I would like this to become our common European approach”, he said.
In Germany, those who have been tested must be able to prove that they have tested negative before departure or within 72 hours of arrival in Germany. In the event of a positive test, the person must be able to prove that he or she is in quarantine. Screening is mandatory for people returning from high-risk areas and optional for those returning from lower-risk countries. According to Spahn, Germany is able to carry out 1.2 million tests per week.
According to the minutes of the Health Security Committee meeting held on 21 July, the European Commission is currently consulting with a view to proposing this common strategy for screening (see EUROPE 12539/10). (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)