The president of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, announced this Friday that all Canary Island residents who are on the Peninsula, whether students or not, will be able to take a diagnostic test for active infection before returning to the islands for Christmas, a test that will be paid for by the Canary Islands Executive.
President Torres announced this after holding a videoconference meeting with the president of the Balearic Islands, Francina Armengol, with the aim of analyzing a common position regarding health controls for national travelers and residents.
Ángel Víctor Torres indicated that these tests can be carried out free of charge in a series of laboratories that will be designated today Friday and that will be located in different cities of the country, such as Madrid, Barcelona, Granada, Seville, Salamanca or Navarra. If they arrive to the islands without said test, they may undergo an antigen test at the airport.
On the other hand, Torres reported that national travelers who arrive to the islands not to do tourism will also have to take said test in their places of origin, being paid for by them. If they travel to the archipelago without that test, they would also be given an antigen test upon arrival without penalty.
The president of the Canary Islands advanced that at the beginning of next week, possibly on Monday, the Minister of Health, Blas Trujillo, will publish the corresponding order so that Canary Island residents who live on the Peninsula can already make an appointment at the designated laboratories to take the test, and its entry into force will be on Friday the 18th or Sunday the 20th, as a deadline.
Torres emphasized that this measure is taken for two reasons: to give security to residents who are outside the Canary Islands and also to those who live on the islands. And he added that these two measures respond to weeks of work with the Ministry of Health and the Government of the Balearic Islands, which will also launch this action for its residents.
Finally, he pointed out that there will be particular issues that will be resolved; for this, the Government of the Canary Islands makes available all its information and communication mechanisms. Finally, with a view to the Canarians who are going to return home for Christmas, he asked them to take extreme precautions and respect the rules that the Executive has been dictating during these weeks and that are updated in each Government Council.