Since last Tuesday, rapid antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 have been offered to all employees of the company MenschensKinder Teltow. The tests are expected to be carried out once a week by the end of April.
Day nurseries and kindergartens including day care centers are still open for regular operations in Brandenburg, and so the number of children to be looked after is increasing every day. Only after-school care is still prohibited in the state of Brandenburg. Emergency care takes place here. From January 22nd, 2021, the school will open again for primary school students with an alternating model of classroom and home lessons. The children who take part in face-to-face lessons can also visit the after-school care centers on these days, provided that there is a care contract.
After the announcement by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport about the implementation of a rapid antigen test (SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19) in the child and youth welfare facilities in the state of Brandenburg, the mayor of the city of Teltow and the plant manager of the in-house operation advise on the possibilities of implementation. “It is clear that the tests are voluntary and free of charge for our employees. They simply provide security for the moment and are important for our employees. After all, they are in constant contact with their parents, who work and are on the road all over Berlin and Brandenburg, ”explained plant manager Solveig Haller.
The weekly tests are carried out in accordance with the requirements of the ministry. The Neue Kammerspiele in Kleinmachnow, which was temporarily converted into a Corona test center, carries out the tests in-house in the city of Teltow. The managing director of the Neue Kammerspiele, Carolin Huder, had offered to drive to every facility with her helpers in order to avoid unnecessary mixing of the individual people. Of the approximately 250 employees in the in-house operation, a total of 123 people had themselves tested last Tuesday. Visibly relieved, the plant manager reported that all tests were negative.
Since day care centers are still prohibited in the state of Brandenburg and only emergency care is offered, the 6th Containment Ordinance, which came into force on February 12, 2021, shows that another critical infrastructure area has been included. From now on, employees are classified as systemically relevant professions according to the fifth book of the Social Security Code (statutory health insurance). Parents who work in this area can download the supplemented emergency care application here .