Prognosis
German Virus Test Kits Run Low as People Stock Up for Next Wave
- Rising infections are prompting a rush for home-use kits
- Government is tightening rules to access public venues
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Germans are feverishly snapping up Covid-19 test kits at drug stores and pharmacies as the country buckles under soaring infection rates and the government tightens the rules to access shops, restaurants and gyms.
Home-use infection tests that provide a rapid read-out via a nasal swab were hard to get in recent days. Major drug stores like Dirk Rossmann GmbH and DM Drogerie Markt GmbH had temporarily sold out online, and many pharmacies said they’ve been overrun by unprecedented demand for the kits, which usually retail for as little as 1.50 euros ($1.70) each.