The government will provide a second free antigen self-test to all residents over the age of 6 for the Christmas holidays

• Wednesday, December 23, 2020

The Minister of Health, Joan Martínez Benazet, announced on Wednesday that the Government will offer a second free antigen self-test to all residents of the country over the age of 6: “it was a measure we had already planned but we needed more stock to be able to carry it out ”.

In this sense, the holder of the portfolio has indicated that during this Wednesday they will be made available to the commons in the coming days so that they can distribute them with the operations that have been organized from the corporations.

In addition, Martínez Benazet reported that the Council of Ministers has approved an amendment to the Regulation establishing the conditions for the sale of rapid antigen tests in pharmacies in order to regulate their price. Given that the Executive considers that these tests are part of the Government's strategy to combat the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in the Principality and that the network of pharmacies offers an essential and local service, it has been decided to include in the regulation a limitation on its selling price.

In this way, the Minister of Health, Joan Martínez Benazet, explained, “taking into account that the acquisition of tests is the responsibility of the buyer and that they do not have public funding, the pharmacy offices will have to dispense them with a maximum increase of 30% with respect to its cost price ”.

Health update December 23

The Minister of Health also reported that the total number of cases since the onset of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic in the Principality is 7,669 people - 6,812 correspond to the second wave. The total number of deaths to date is 82, after the death in the last hours of a patient who was admitted to the Nostra Senyora de Meritxell Hospital.

There are currently 481 active cases: 15 people remain hospitalized and 2 in the ICU, of them with mechanical ventilation. There is no resident admitted to the COVID-19 plant in El Cedre. As for the school population, 27 classrooms are under active surveillance –10 total and 17 partial– and 49 under passive surveillance.

Finally, Martínez Benazet also highlighted the approval of a specific protocol for residents coming from the United Kingdom, where a new highly contagious coronavirus strain has currently been detected. Thus, they will be asked for a negative PCR prior to travel and will be given a TMA once they arrive in the Principality. The tests will also be repeated for the next 15 days.

The Home Care Service reinforces the support at Christmas

At the same time, the Minister of Health has reported that the Home Care Service (SAD) of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Housing and Youth continues with the aim of accompanying and caring for all those people who live alone, who do not have family network or, as a result of the health crisis, are isolated. Now, on the occasion of the Christmas festivities, the SAD will launch a series of actions to strengthen attention and thus avoid the feelings of loneliness of its most vulnerable users.

Specifically, as was already done during the Easter festivities, a hundred Christmas postcards made by high school students from Andorran schools will be delivered, in collaboration with the Andorran Red Cross. At the same time, with the desire for people in a situation of greater vulnerability –especially those who do not have a family network– to feel more accompanied, visits will be strengthened and we will collaborate with the tasks of these dates, such as prepare meals.