The Government of the Canary Islands will finally require a negative Covid test for all national passengers, including residents of the Canary Islands, who come to the archipelago during Christmas, according to the order of the Ministry of Health published this Tuesday in the BOC. The measure will come into effect at 00:00 on December 18 and will remain until January 10.
It establishes that "all people arriving in the Canary Islands from the communities and autonomous cities of the Spanish State, excluding children under six years of age, must undergo a PDIA test for Sars-Cov-2 with a negative result, carried out in the 72 hours prior to arrival." According to the BOC, three different tests are admitted: PCR, antigen test and TMA.
For the performance of the tests, the Canary Islands Health Service has made available to passengers a network of laboratories with implementation throughout the national territory, although you can go to any other if deemed appropriate. The collaborating laboratories can be consulted on the website of the Government of the Canary Islands. The contact and appointment telephone number to take the test is 911 087 080.
Passengers or laboratories, with the express authorization of the interested parties, will send the analytical results electronically to the Canary Islands Health Service, to the address [email protected] prior to their arrival in the Canary Islands.
In the event that such authorization is not granted, it is stated that "the remission of the results will be the obligation of the interested parties, who must send the supporting documentation of the test to the indicated email address, stating in the subject the email, the flight or crossing number and the date of arrival of the same." However, "at the points of entry to the Canary Islands, the passenger may be asked, at any time, for proof of the result" of the test.
Isolation for those who do not take the test 72 hours before arrival
In the "exceptional case" that the passenger has not taken the test in the 72 hours prior to arrival, it is indicated that "they must isolate themselves in their residence and perform a PDIA in the 72 hours following their arrival." This isolation, as stated in the BOC, "must be maintained until obtaining and submitting a negative diagnostic test or, where appropriate, epidemiological discharge," although exceptions are made "when the urgency of the trip prevents its realization."
Among these exceptions, workers who perform "critical occupations" and are "on professional travel" are mentioned, including healthcare workers; workers and service providers who transport goods for use in the territory; patients who travel "for imperative medical reasons", those who travel for assistance or care also "for imperative reasons" of the elderly, minors, dependents, people with disabilities or especially vulnerable people; seafarers who arrive in the Canary Islands "returning from their campaign on board a ship or transit to embark or disembark", the crews of ships and aircraft that carry out passenger traffic between the Canary Islands and other communities or countries; and journalists "on professional travel."
Also excluded from this isolation would be public representatives, diplomats, personnel of international organizations and persons invited by them "whose physical presence is necessary for the proper functioning of these organizations", as well as "the military and police, humanitarian workers and civil protection personnel in the exercise of their functions."
With respect to those who do not take the test either before or after arriving, "they must remain isolated in their residence for 14 days, without prejudice to any sanctions that may apply."
Free for Canary Islands residents and "special price" for tourists
The cost of this test, both at origin and destination, will be borne by the Canary Islands Health Service in the case of travelers who have their residence in the Canary Islands and take it in the centers arranged by the regional Executive. In other cases, the passenger will bear the cost of taking the test, although it "will have a special price in the centers arranged by the Canary Islands Health Service."
In the case of Canary Islands residents who go to the collaborating centers, they must present a certificate of residence for travel bonus or the ID with address in the Canary Islands, a flight voucher and a free test voucher, which can be found on the website of the regional Government.
For their part, non-residents who want to benefit from the "special price" by going to the arranged centers, will have to present the flight voucher and the test voucher with a special price at the laboratory, which can also be downloaded from the website of the Canary Islands Executive.
The measures "will not apply to passengers in transit in a Canary Islands port or airport with final destination to another country or another national territory" nor to "those people who accredit a reservation in a tourist establishment registered in the General Tourist Registry of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands and are subject to public health control in the admission" of the establishment.
