The designated Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Carlos Mellado, announced today, Tuesday, several major events for the administration of antigen tests.
The Río Piedras campus and Mayagüez campus of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) will be the first institutions visited by the Department of Health’s battalion of epidemiologists, nurses and case managers.
On the other hand, a route has been drawn up that includes the municipalities of Juana Díaz, Coamo, Toa Baja, Río Grande, Patillas, Vega Baja, Morovis, Canóvanas, Yabucoa and Vieques in this first stage.
It may interest you:
“We recognize the importance of safeguarding the health of students and future professionals on our island, as well as the professors and non-teaching staff at State University. By protecting the university community, we are protecting your family, as someone could be a carrier of the virus and spread it unknowingly by not showing any symptoms. The test we are conducting takes only 15 minutes to get the result, ”Mellado said in a statement.
The owner indicated that starting this Friday, January 8, 2021, epidemiologists and health specialists will conduct the tests for free, exclusively for students, teaching and non-teaching staff at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Campus Stones (UPR). The tests will be conducted from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot, which is located behind the University Campus’ Department of Natural Sciences and enters from Barbosa Avenue.
Those interested in taking the test must register through this link and provide proof of identity confirming that they are an employee or student of the campus.
“It is expected that about 2,000 people will come between students and teachers. We are ready to receive them, ”added the Minister of Health. Another similar effort will take place at the Mayagüez Campus (RUM) on Tuesday January 12 from 9am to 2pm. per trolley within the educational institution.
Health will also visit the municipalities, an initiative called COVIVEO. On Tuesday January 12, the staff will be at the Toyita Martínez Coliseito, in Juana Díaz; and on Thursday January 14 at the Luis A “Wito” Santiago Convention Center, in Coamo, both days from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Meanwhile, COVIVEO will be held on Saturday, January 16 at the Antonio R. Barceló Coliseum, in Toa Baja. The next municipalities to visit are Río Grande, Patillas, Morovis, Canóvanas, Yabucoa and Vieques.
In addition, it conducts tests on a smaller scale where a COVID-19 outbreak is suspected. To monitor the possibility of contamination in homeless people and take appropriate measures, health specialists will arrive with antigen testing in various communities in San Juan. Among these, the residential complex Vista Hermosa, on January 15; Barrio Obrero, January 16 and the residential Villa Esperanza.
Since the inception of COVIVEO, 82,493 rapid antigen tests have been performed in municipalities, aimed at identifying asymptomatic people who may be carriers of the virus without knowing it. Of this number, 2,320 people tested positive for COVID-19.
The results of the tests are documented in the BioPortal platform to provide official data to the community in real time.