The Bavarian Ministry of Health Melanie Huml may have known about the Corona test breakdowns in the Free State much earlier than previously known. The reported the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” citing an internal email from the State Office for Health (LGL).
Accordingly, the Ministry of Health was informed about the problems at the test centers for holiday returnees with this email last Monday (August 10). According to the “Süddeutscher Zeitung”, the email went to Huml’s ministerial office, her head of office and another person in the Ministry of Health at 12:30. In it, the laboratory company Eurofins is said to have reported over 40,000 samples, the results of which have not yet been transmitted – including 338 positive tests.
The public did not find out until two days later at a press conference about the breakdown. Huml assured her that she had only found out about the extent of it that morning. Huml reported that by the middle of last week 44,000 people had not received their test results, including a good 900 people who tested positive.
Schulze accuses Huml of concealing
Greens parliamentary leader Katharina Schulze spoke in a first reaction of a “concealment machine”. Schulze told the BR that she was stunned. “What is gradually coming to light now destroys trust in this government’s crisis management even further.”
The SPD member of the state parliament Florian von Brunn said on Twitter: “Now it will be tight for Ms. Huml.” She had informed the public far too late and was now responsible for “poor crisis management” “because the problem could not be resolved until last Sunday”.
Hagen: The scandal is spreading
Bavaria’s FDP parliamentary group leader Martin Hagen said: “The scandal surrounding the test breakdowns is widening. If the minister has lied to the public, it is no longer acceptable.”
When asked by the BR, the Bavarian State Chancellery did not want to comment on the allegations against Huml.
Already earlier information about delays
As early as August 7, the BR reported that tested travelers sometimes had to wait up to a week for their results. Up to this point in time, around 50,000 people had been tested at the Bavarian test centers for holiday returnees.
Health Minister Huml said at the time that “a lot had accumulated recently”. By the weekend, however, “everything should be processed as far as possible” – by August 9th at the latest. Finally, on August 12th, she informed the public of the massive delays and complications involved in delivering the results. Shortly before, she offered Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU), according to his statement, to resign twice – Söder refused.
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