City council resolution on pool testing in daycare centers to be implemented quickly

At its meeting on September 8, 2021, the Jena City Council decided to fund corona tests for Jena's daycare centers. The state of Thuringia had suspended this from August 1, 2021. The crisis management team of the city of Jena had objected to this, as the state of Thuringia was taking an individual approach. In the other federal states, tests for daycare centers will continue to be provided. The city provided tests for daycare centers during the summer vacations with its own funding. However, it was not possible for the city administration to independently decide to continue the offer, as the financial volume exceeds a framework that cannot be justified without a city council resolution.

With the initiative of the SPD, CDU, DIE LINKE, Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen, FDP, Bürger für Jena and Prof. Ulrich Schubert parliamentary groups, the administration has now been instructed to secure funding for one month by reallocating general budget funds.

However, the basis is the request to the state of Thuringia and the federal government to continue to ensure and adequately finance the Covid-19 test offers at community facilities (daycare centers & schools).

The resolution includes testing in community facilities - especially in daycare centers - twice a week with a PCR pool test recommended by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). These services are now being put out to tender and implemented.

Rapid tests will be made available to childminders.

The daycare centers will be informed directly about the exact processes and details. Parents must still give their consent for their children to be tested before tests can be carried out in daycare centers.