Spain’s private clinical testing facilities will be made available to the national health service from today to speed up Covid-19 detections

The government has today declared all private clinical diagnostic centres will be made available to the Spanish health service during the State of Alarm, to speed up Covid-19 testing.

THE centres will collaborate in carrying out both PCR and rapid antibody detection tests.

Likewise, the department headed by Minister Salvador Illa will control the price of these tests, which must be prescribed by doctors, to avoid “abusive situations.”

Privately owned clinical diagnostic centres, services, health facilities and their personnel, will strengthen existing diagnostic circuits from today, and notify health authorities of any cases of coronavirus detected as a “matter of urgency.”

These measures will be in force until the end of the State of Alarm, and any possible extensions.

Failure to comply with these measures may result in sanctions.

Asked about this measure, the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, José Luis Escrivá, told Antena 3 that “all public or private initiatives must be centralised and properly coordinated” to address the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

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Tara Rippin

Tara Rippin is a reporter for Spain’s largest English-speaking newspaper, Euro Weekly News, and is responsible for the Costa Blanca region.
She has been in journalism for more than 20 years, having worked for local newspapers in the Midlands, UK, before relocating to Spain in 1990.
Since arriving, the mother-of-one has made her home on the Costa Blanca, while spending 18 months at the EWN head office in Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol.
She loves being part of a community that has a wonderful expat and Spanish mix, and strives to bring the latest and most relevant news to EWN’s loyal and valued readers.

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