The fight against the virus is still growing in intensity. New tools are arriving for the citizens of Emilia-Romagna. And this thanks to the commitment of the Region which, while the vaccination campaign continues, does not retreat and indeed advances in screening and prevention actions.
Starting from Monday 1 February, anyone – as long as they are registered with the regional health care system – will be able to carry out the rapid nasal antigen test (rapid swab) and the serological test in the affiliated pharmacies at the controlled price of 15 euros.
You will not need a medical prescription: just book at the pharmacy and show up for the appointment, provided of course you do not have fever or other respiratory symptoms, and there have been no recent contacts with people affected by Covid-19.
It is one of the many innovations envisaged by an act approved by the Regional Council which, in addition to offering this opportunity to citizens, further expands the audience of recipients of the voluntary and free screening campaign – intended to counter the spread of Covid-19, especially in school and family environment – with the quick swab at the pharmacy. To the categories that already have the right, there are also educators who work in contact with young and very young people, instructors and coaches of youth sports clubs, third sector volunteers who assist the elderly alone or people with disabilities, family caregivers who take care of the elderly alone or disabled.
Not only that: it is also established that certain segments of the population already involved in screening – and precisely schoolchildren and students (0-18 years and adults if they attend upper secondary school), university students, students of VET courses, school staff of the institutions of all order and grade and educational services 0-3 years and staff of the professional training institutions that provide VET courses – will be able to repeat the rapid swab at the pharmacy, again at the expense of the Regional Health Service, every 15 days. For the other categories, the frequency to carry out the test remains monthly.
“While the vaccination campaign goes on, we continue and further strengthen our commitment to prevent, limit and combat the spread of the virus – underline the President of the Region, Stefano Bonaccini, and the Regional Councilor for Health Policies, Raffaele Donini -. The fact that anyone, at a favorable price, can go to the pharmacy to do a quick swab or a serological test after a simple reservation is an important opportunity for all citizens, a quick tool to understand if they have come into contact with the virus or if they have it at that moment ”.
“Not only- they continue-: as a Region we are further expanding the ‘ranks’ of those who can access free screening, by including people close to the youngest, the elderly and those with disabilities, therefore more fragile and exposed. This further step forward – Bonaccini and Donini conclude -, again thanks to the agreements signed with the trade associations of affiliated pharmacies, is a further concrete sign of the will to leave no stone unturned to fight the virus “.
The news
Swabs and serologicals in pharmacies for everyone at controlled prices
From Monday 1 February 2021, therefore, even citizens who do not fall within the targets of those entitled to receive the service for free, as long as they are enrolled in the health care system of the Emilia-Romagna Region, will be able to carry out tampons in the affiliated pharmacies, for a fee rapid, with charges borne by the citizens themselves.
From the same date, the rapid serological tests for the detection of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, performed in pharmacies, will no longer be the responsibility of the regional health service, but can be performed for a fee.
The pharmacy must guarantee the application of a controlled price equal to that already defined by the Regional Health Service (15 euros per VAT-free test), both for the rapid swab and for the serological, and ensure traceability and visibility of the data to the general practitioner of the citizen and to the Public Health Departments of the Local Health Service through a special electronic application.
A medical prescription will not be necessary; just make an appointment at the pharmacy and show up without any symptoms in progress. It is not possible to carry out the test at the pharmacy, in fact, if in the last 10 days there have been close contacts with people affected by Covid-19, if you have a fever above 37.5 ° C or respiratory symptoms; for citizens who find themselves in these conditions, other paths are active, naturally at the expense of public health.
Free quick pads: the audience of those entitled to them grows
On the basis of the agreement of last December, from the 21st of the same month it was possible to carry out fast swabs free of charge in the pharmacy for a whole series of identified targets: schoolchildren and students (0-18 years and adults if they attend upper secondary school); their parents, even if separated and / or not living together and guardians / custodians of the pupils / students; sisters / brothers of the students; other cohabiting family members of pupils / students; grandparents not living together with schoolchildren / students; university students even if they attend universities outside the region; students of VET (Education and Professional Training) paths; school staff of schools of all levels and educational services 0-3 years; personnel of the professional training institutions that provide VET courses; pharmacists participating in the project; people with disabilities, who collaborate and are able to wear the mask; cohabiting family members of people with disabilities.
In addition to these segments of the population, the Regional Council has identified others, namely: educators who work in extracurricular services, in youth aggregation centers, oratories, scouts, playrooms, and instructors and coaches of youth sports clubs in the area; volunteers from third sector associations who assist lonely elderly people or people with disabilities; family caregivers who care for the elderly or people with disabilities.
Quick swab every 15 days: for whom
Finally, pupils, students, school staff and professional training institutions that provide VET courses will be able to undergo the rapid swab every 15 days instead of once a month: this is to ensure greater protection against the resumption of school activities in the presence.
© REPRODUCTION RESERVED
– .
