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Actually, the matter should already be clear after the last Prime Minister's Conference (MPK) on March 3rd: In order to be able to regularly offer a corona rapid test to as many people as possible, companies should undertake to offer each employee a test at least once a week.

But the wording in the resolution at the time remained vague: "For comprehensive protection against infection, it is necessary that companies in Germany, as a contribution to society as a whole, offer their employees in attendance at least one free rapid test per week," it said at the time.

“As far as possible, a certificate of the test result should be issued.” Within a week, the economy and the federal government should “give final advice”.

Less than a week later, the obligation turned into an appeal from the major trade associations to all companies to offer test options.

Now the topic was found again in the draft resolutions for the Conference of Prime Ministers (MPK) on Monday.

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And at first glance, it seemed to have come a long way: "According to an initial survey by the DIHK, 70 percent of companies in Germany intend to participate in #WirtschaftTestet, or they are already doing this or are completely in their home office anyway," it says .

So there was already a hashtag.

The only problem is: if you take a closer look, the numbers don't look good.

In the end, even the authors of the draft resolution had lost track of the friendly interpretation of the figures.

Strictly speaking, not even one in five companies currently offers tests.

Another 28 percent plan to do so.

So you only get 47 percent and thus not even half of all companies.

In order to make the number have a more positive effect, one simply added the companies whose employees are currently completely in the home office.

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But that is not the remaining 23 percent to get to the 70 percent mentioned in the draft resolution.

Only 23 percent of the remaining half who neither offer tests nor intend to do so are completely in the home office, so even the calculated value can only be around 60 percent.

Only ten percent of small businesses test it

After all, the numbers look better when you look at the large companies with many employees.

At companies with more than 1000 employees, 40 percent are already testing, and another 39 percent plan to do so shortly.

The smaller the companies get, the worse the results get.

Of the companies with one to three employees, just ten percent offer test options.

In the DIHK survey, 42 percent of the companies stated that they lacked information on how to use the tests, almost every fourth company stated that they could not procure tests or that their provider did not deliver them.

All of these would be problems that politicians would have to solve.

21 percent also said that the companies cannot pay the cost of the tests because of the poor economic situation in which they find themselves.

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This problem is exacerbated for smaller companies.

It is true that 85 percent of family businesses stated in a survey by the association Die Familienunternehmer that they were ready to offer tests.

However, only 39 percent replied that they would do this at their own expense.

The other 46 percent need financial support from the state, as the association notes.

And: "So far, so few tests are available that only 21 percent of companies can do them regularly," reports the family business association.

Source: WORLD infographic

According to the German Trade Association (HDE), the test strategy is currently failing due to a lack of tests.

"In line with the joint appeal of the trade associations, the retail sector is aiming to enable its employees to carry out two tests per week," says a spokesman.

After all, this is an important step towards more normalcy in everyday life.

"At the moment, this often fails due to the availability of the tests on the market."

With many associations it can be seen that they still want to avoid that politicians oblige companies to offer tests.

That is why it is always emphasized that you make an effort.

So far there are no exact figures in mechanical engineering.

Up to 20,000 tests per month

The industry association VDMA, however, is talking about a larger number of companies where tests are already in use or corresponding preparations are in progress.

In any case, you support the request of the federal government.

"We appeal to companies to offer corona tests wherever possible," says Managing Director Thilo Brodtmann.

However, this must remain a voluntary offer.

"The appeal of the central associations has not only been passed on to membership, but actively promoted," says the Central Association of Electrical Engineering and Electronics Industry (ZVEI).

And the large amount of feedback received would show that the companies are taking up the appeal.

How many companies already offer the tests remains open.

Extensive testing is already underway in the food industry, especially since the corona outbreaks in slaughterhouses last year.

"Above all, risk-oriented and event-related rapid tests are carried out in companies," says Stefanie Sabet, General Manager of the Food and Beverage Employers' Association (ANG).

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Even in medium-sized companies, this can quickly take up to 20,000 tests a month.

Nevertheless, the companies are in the process of increasing their test offers again in accordance with the voluntary commitment.

In addition to the rapid tests, it is also increasingly about self-tests.

However, according to Sabet, this poses challenges: availability and costs.

“In order for even more tests to be carried out, more rapid tests and self-tests are needed on the market; there are currently delivery bottlenecks here.

In addition, the high costs are a burden on the predominantly small and medium-sized companies; reimbursement or at least a participation by the state would be desirable here.

"Vaccine turbo instead of emergency brake - This is what people expect now"

Before the federal-state summit, everything points to an extension of the lockdown.

The FDP chairman Christian Lindner criticizes such a blanket approach.

He calls for more tests and more speed in vaccination.

Source: WORLD