With COVID-19 infection rates on the rise in Europe, the VW Group is stepping up its efforts to help its employees in Germany. Their plan is to install facilities for voluntary testing at sites nationwide.
The carmaker says it will be able to perform as many as 2,400 tests per day in Wolfsburg (home of VW HQ and its largest factory), with results available within just 24 hours, as reported by Autonews Europe.
VW re-opened its Wolfsburg plant four months ago after a six-week shutdown. The factory is responsible for the likes of the Golf, Tiguan, Touran and Seat Tarraco.
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“The test offering helps break infection chains quickly,” said VW personnel chief, Gunnar Kilian. “A secure working environment for our colleagues remains the highest priority.”
The main reason for this initiative is to help navigate the coming influenza season, when employees might mistake common flu symptoms with those of COVID-19, which in turn could cause panic and overwhelm doctors/hospitals.
The test facilities will be set up in what VW refers to as “walk-through containers” that have been prepped for voluntary work checks. The carmaker will eventually have a total of 10 containers across the country.
Right now, infections in Germany are close to a four-month high, which seems to be the case with most of Europe. Earlier this week, federal and regional health officials said that they would scrap a requirement for people returning to Germany from high-risk areas to be tested for COVID-19, due to a lack of laboratory capacity.
