The Canary Islands began this Friday the control of Covid-19 diagnostic tests for national travelers arriving to the islands --both by air and sea-- without any notable incidents being recorded, according to the Ministry of Health.
Thus, the Order of the Minister, Blas Trujillo, regarding the performance of screenings to contain the transmission of SARSCOV-2, through diagnostic tests of active infection (PDIA) to passengers entering the Canary Islands from the rest of the national territory came into effect at 00.00 hours on December 18 and will remain in effect until January 10, 2021, although it may be extended.
Until 1:00 p.m., a total of 1,403 people had arrived at the Canary Islands airports from the rest of the national territory, of which 70% have submitted a valid negative diagnostic test certificate for SARS-COV-2 with 72 hours in advance.
However, cases of people who have presented an invalid certificate have also been detected, either because the laboratory that performed the diagnostic test cannot be identified, or because it has been completed in pen or because the passenger is not identified.
In addition, travelers who did not present the certificate, or that it was not validated, were identified, registered and have been summoned to perform isolation until obtaining the negative result of a diagnostic test at the destination.
Here, the Government of the Canary Islands has recalled that the diagnostic tests of active infection admitted, at the passenger's choice, are PCR (RT-PCR of COVID-19); Rapid tests for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 antigens with a specificity of more than 97% and a sensitivity of more than 80%, in accordance with the corresponding approval of a country of the European Union or the European economic area; and Amplification Mediated by Transcription (TMA).
The Ministry of Health reminds that the diagnostic test, both at origin and destination, will be free for travelers residing in the Canary Islands who come from the rest of the national territory and perform the test in the Eurofins Megalab centers arranged by the Canarian Health Service for this purpose. In other cases, the passenger will assume the cost of performing the PDIA, which will have a special price in the centers arranged by the SCS.
Request for the result at destination
The Ministry of Health has an operation of Covid-19 control points in the six Canary Islands airports that operate with national flights in which the accreditation of the PDIA result is requested.
In the exceptional case that the passenger has not performed the PDIA in the 72 hours prior to arrival, they must isolate themselves in their residence and perform a PDIA in the 72 hours following their arrival, and must send the result to the SCS. Isolation must be maintained until obtaining and submitting a negative diagnostic test or, where appropriate, epidemiological discharge.
Those who do not perform the PDIA must keep isolation in their residence for 10 days and are exposed to the foreseen sanction. Travel agencies, tour operators and air or maritime transport companies and any other agent that sells tickets must inform passengers, at the beginning of the ticket sales process to the Canary Islands, of the obligations arising from the Order.
