Corona rapid tests for inpatient youth welfare facilities

With immediate effect, the State of Berlin is making a quota of corona rapid tests available every month for inpatient facilities for youth welfare, integration assistance and the Berlin emergency service child protection. 10,300 PoC antigen rapid tests are available for December. The Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family bears the costs. The Senate Department for Health, Care and Equality supports the project.

Sandra Scheeres, Senator for Education, Youth and Family: “With the quick tests we support the important work in the inpatient facilities of youth and integration assistance. Residential groups and residential facilities for children and young people are particularly in need of protection. A quick certainty is crucial in order to be able to take the right action quickly. I would like to thank all the specialists who are committed to the children and young people entrusted to them in the facilities during the pandemic. ”

The aim is to test employees and children and adolescents accommodated in the facility who are suspected of having an infection, but who show no or slight, ambiguous symptoms such as mild rhinitis without fever. This can also include, for example, asymptomatic persons who are in the facility due to the closure of school classes and daycare groups and who were not contact person 1. The tests are basically voluntary.

For people who have typical corona symptoms, it is necessary to contact their family doctor or the health department as before. When COVIDIn 19 cases in the facility, the health department must also be involved as before. This will initiate all further necessary measures.

To ensure that they are used correctly, the rapid tests may only be carried out by medical and nursing specialists. Owners who have their own medical staff can organize the tests themselves in their facilities and receive the quick tests from the facility supervisor after a test concept has been submitted. The Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family organizes two test teams for carriers who do not have a medical specialist. A team will be available as an inpatient. The second team works outreach and comes to the facilities in urgent cases. Telephone registration is required for the tests.

PoC (Point-of-Care) antigen test results are available on site and do not have to be evaluated in a laboratory. Positive results must be followed by a PCR-Test be confirmed. People who tested positive immediately go into domestic isolation. Every positive test result must be reported to the responsible health department immediately.

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