Germany to cover costs of coronavirus patients flown in from EU countries
Germany will foot the bill for treating novel coronavirus patients taken in from European Union neighbour countries as
a gesture of goodwill, Health Minister Jens Spahn said Monday.
Germany has been spared the worst of the coronavirus crisis seen in some of its hard-hit European neighbours, and has taken in patients -- mainly from France and Italy -- to relieve pressure on their overburdened healthcare systems.
More than 200 seriously ill COVID-19 patients from other EU nations are currently in German intensive care units, at a cost of about €20 million.
A total of 229 foreign patients have been treated in Germany, a spokesman
for the foreign ministry said Monday -- 130 from France, 44 from Italy and 55 from the Netherlands.
"Germany will cover the treatment costs of these patients, that is what we understand by European solidarity," Spahn said ahead of a meeting of ministers tackling the virus crisis on Monday.
READ ALSO: German state of Saxony to take in Italian coronavirus patients
"The willingness and capacity is there to admit more if necessary," he added.
The number of coronavirus deaths and infections in Germany has remained well below some of its neighbours.
As of Monday morning, Europe's biggest economy had over 145,000 confirmed cases and 4,624 deaths, while Spain and Italy have reported more than 20,000 deaths each. France has close to 20,000 fatalities while Britain has more than 16,000.
Germany had 28,000 intensive care beds before the start of the crisis and has since increased that number to 30,000.
Over 12,600 beds remained free Sunday according to the Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive and Emergency Medicine (DIVI).
Spahn's announcement came as many parts of Germany prepared to reopen some shops and schools on Monday after weeks of a partial lockdown which saw most non-essential businesses in the Bundesrepublik close.
The health minister said Friday the pandemic was "under control".
READ ALSO: Germany starts to slowly open up as coronavirus deemed 'under control'
Comments (1)
See Also
Germany has been spared the worst of the coronavirus crisis seen in some of its hard-hit European neighbours, and has taken in patients -- mainly from France and Italy -- to relieve pressure on their overburdened healthcare systems.
More than 200 seriously ill COVID-19 patients from other EU nations are currently in German intensive care units, at a cost of about €20 million.
A total of 229 foreign patients have been treated in Germany, a spokesman
for the foreign ministry said Monday -- 130 from France, 44 from Italy and 55 from the Netherlands.
"Germany will cover the treatment costs of these patients, that is what we understand by European solidarity," Spahn said ahead of a meeting of ministers tackling the virus crisis on Monday.
READ ALSO: German state of Saxony to take in Italian coronavirus patients
"The willingness and capacity is there to admit more if necessary," he added.
The number of coronavirus deaths and infections in Germany has remained well below some of its neighbours.
As of Monday morning, Europe's biggest economy had over 145,000 confirmed cases and 4,624 deaths, while Spain and Italy have reported more than 20,000 deaths each. France has close to 20,000 fatalities while Britain has more than 16,000.
Germany had 28,000 intensive care beds before the start of the crisis and has since increased that number to 30,000.
Over 12,600 beds remained free Sunday according to the Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive and Emergency Medicine (DIVI).
Spahn's announcement came as many parts of Germany prepared to reopen some shops and schools on Monday after weeks of a partial lockdown which saw most non-essential businesses in the Bundesrepublik close.
The health minister said Friday the pandemic was "under control".
READ ALSO: Germany starts to slowly open up as coronavirus deemed 'under control'
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.