The Minister of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands, Blas Trujillo, announced this Tuesday in Parliament that the Executive and the councils will pay for the PCR tests for Canarian residents who return to the archipelago next Christmas.
In response to a question from the Mixed Group in the control session, he pointed out that the tests will have to be done 72 hours before the trip and, given that most of the beneficiaries will be students, a "powerful information campaign" will be carried out in universities and training centers.
In addition, he said that as a "plan b" points will be installed in ports and airports to carry out the test on those who have not been able to travel to the laboratories with which the Government is going to sign agreements, within the protocol that is being developed between different ministries.
Regarding the possibility of testing the rest of the national travelers who arrive to the islands at Christmas, he commented that it is the best way to help control the pandemic, but he assumes that there is a "legal discussion" and also between governments.
Ricardo Fernández (Cs) has lamented the "lack of coordination" between the central and Canarian governments to establish the mandatory nature of PCR tests and antigen tests, although he has valued that controls can now be carried out in ports and airports.
"The two protocols are lame", he pointed out, giving as an example what happens with a peninsular who travels to his second residence in the Canary Islands or to spend Christmas at the home of family and friends.