Jena criticizes new state regulation on testing in daycare centers

A draft of the state ordinance on the reintroduction of test offers at all daycare centers in Thuringia is now available. Jena welcomes the request in principle, as the city had already decided to offer testing at daycare centers months ago (city council resolution 21/1086-BV). This meant that testing in Jena's daycare centers was also possible without funding from the Free State. However, the current draft would be at a serious disadvantage for Jena: Despite the TMBJS's knowledge of a successfully established system with the pool tests commonly used in other federal states and recommended by the RKI, the draft ordinance only provides for an obligation to provide rapid antigen tests.

"As a result, this would mean that the only Thuringian local authority with an ongoing and established testing regime in daycare centers would no longer be able to offer it. Almost all facilities in Jena would have to change the testing system again," criticized Lord Mayor Dr. Thomas Nitzsche. This would not only be the result of the lack of funding for PCR pool testing, but would also occur because no duplicate testing structures are conceivable in the facilities. "For our part, there are no discernible reasons why Jena should now be forced to switch to the significantly inferior system, which the daycare centres are also supposed to organize themselves," Nitzsche continued.

Naturally, the city will react immediately to the draft regulation and issue a statement, even if it is not directly requested to do so.

"Nevertheless, we do not expect there to be any changes as a result of our statement. The TMBJS is aware of our established test system, so this alternative option could have been included from the outset," said Nitzsche.

Mayor Christian Gerlitz added: "We keep receiving complaints that test materials are missing in schools. The PCR pool tests, on the other hand, are stable. Only last week, the Ministry brusquely rejected the request to extend the system, which has proven itself in daycare centers, to elementary school." In its statement, the city of Jena will therefore urge that the well-established procedure be retained due to its high level of acceptance and the reliability and speed of the test results.