Civil Protection

Porto installs pioneer sample centre to sweep Covid-19

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Porto has prepared the first track centre for Covid-19 in Portugal, in a joint initiative by the ARS-Norte (Regional Health Authority), Porto City Hall and Unilabs Portugal. This has been installed according to the "Drive Thru" system, and it is especially targeted at people that are suspected to have the Covid-19 and that have been previously signalled by the NHS (SNS).

Entrance will be controlled by the police and it will run by previous appointment of the health authorities; citizens should head to this centre only at the scheduled hour to avoid traffic constraints and crowds.

"In the scope of the collective effort that Portugal is making to fight the outbreak of Covid-19, Unilabs Portugal approached Porto City Hall and the North Health Administration to understand the need to create a place devoted to track samples, in a pilot-model in Portugal."

The purpose is to test patients outside the hospital area, in a comfort zone, which is collectively safe; also, to alleviate the flux of potential patients in hospitals.

These three entities were able to set the first tracing centre for Covid-19, in a "Drive Thru" model, assembled in Portugal.

This model enables people that might have contracted the Covid-19 and that have been previously signalled by the National Health Service, to go to this sampling spot, located at Queimódromo, in Porto, without making contact with other people, thus reducing the risk of infection in each sample collection, even for health professionals involved. The results will then be sent directly to the person tested and to the health authorities.

Porto City Hall, ARSN, Civil Protection, Municipal Police and Unilabs, as well as other private companies that have provided material and manpower, announce that the first lab of its kind in Portugal is open as of 18th March, and only following previous scheduling by the National Health Service.

The fast track of the Covid-19 follows all recommendations and specifications issued by the ARS-Norte, and entry and exit will be monitored by the police; the centre will carry out circa 400 daily tests, in a first phase, and it can reach the 700 per day.

General Practitioners/Family Doctors will run the sampling and will apply a clinical and epidemiological examination (RedCap) that assess the need of a test or other guidance.

Only people that have been already signalled by the health authorities should head to this centre, as the system will not allow the carry out of ad hoc testing.

"This measure is included in a larger set of initiatives that Porto has been taking to support the national effort to fight this pandemic and to mitigate the disease. This is a pioneer model in Portugal and it can be replicated in other cities of the country and it can help save lives, all the while improving healthcare in a hospital setting", states Rui Moreira, Mayor of Porto.