German coronavirus tests backlog: 900 positive not yet told

 German authorities worked through night to clear a backlog of coronavirus tests from travelers after it emerged 900 people who were positive for COVID-19 h yet to be informed.

Bavarian Health Minister Melanie Huml said all people with positive results would be informed Thursday and that systems were being improved to prevent any furr delays.

Bavaria has been offering free voluntary tests at airports, as well as specific train stations and highway rest areas, and has carried out some 85,000 since end of July, Huml said.

interest was higher than expected, and delays were almost exclusively at rest areas and train stations, where some 60,000 people were tested. Those operations were initially run by aid organizations, but are w being taken over by private companies, which are digitizing transmission of results, among or things, dpa news ncy reported.

Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn told ZDF that delay in communicating results of 44,000 tests was “anying, without a doubt” but that Bavaria was heing in right direction.

“Basically I'm very grateful that we are testing so extensively and that Bavaria also makes it possible to take tests at rest stops when entering country by car,” he said. “But n, of course, results have to be transmitted.”

It was t yet clear which countries people who tested positive were from, r where y were staying, dpa reported.

As of Saturday, any travelers arriving from high-risk areas have been required nationwide to take coronavirus tests.