The designated secretary of the Department of Health, Carlos Mellado, announced today, Tuesday, several massive events for the administration of antigenic tests.
The Río Piedras Campus and the Mayagüez Campus of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) will be the first institutions to be visited by the battalion of epidemiologists, nurses and case managers from the Department of Health.
On the other hand, a route has been established that includes the municipalities of Juana Díaz, Coamo, Toa Baja, Río Grande, Patillas, Vega Baja, Morovis, Canóvanas, Yabucoa and Vieques in this first stage.
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“We recognize the importance of ensuring the health of students and future professionals on our island, as well as teachers and non-teaching staff at the State University. By protecting the university community, we protect your family, because someone could be a carrier of the virus and, without knowing it, we spread it without symptoms. The test we take only takes 15 minutes to get the result, “Mellado said in a statement.
The owner indicated that, starting this Friday, January 8, 2021, epidemiologists and health professionals will administer the tests, free of charge, exclusively to students, teaching and non-teaching staff of the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Pietre Campus (UPR). The tests will be performed from 9:00 to 14:00 in the parking lot, which is behind the Department of Natural Sciences on the university campus, entering Barbosa Boulevard.
Those interested in taking the test must register at this link and present an identification confirming that they are employees or students of the campus..
“The expectation is that about 2,000 people will reach between students and teachers. We are ready to receive them “, added the health secretary. Another similar effort will take place at the Mayagüez Campus (RUM) on Tuesday, January 12, from 9:00 to 14:00. with a stroller in the educational institution.
Likewise, Health will visit the municipalities, an initiative called COVIVEO. On Tuesday, January 12, the staff will be at Toyita Martínez Coliseito, in Juana Díaz; and Thursday, January 14, at the Luis A “Wito” Santiago Convention Center in Coamo, from 10:00 to 15:00 on both days. Meanwhile, on Saturday, January 16, COVIVEO will take place at the Antonio R. Barceló Colosseum in Toa Baja. The next municipalities to be visited are Río Grande, Patillas, Morovis, Canóvanas, Yabucoa and Vieques.
In addition, it performs smaller-scale tests in places where a COVID-19 outbreak is suspected. In order to monitor the possibility of contagion to homeless people and take appropriate measures, health professionals will arrive with antigenic tests in different communities in San Juan. Among them, the Vista Hermosa residential complex, on January 15; Barrio Obrero, on January 16 and the residential Villa Esperanza.
Since the beginning of COVIVEO, 82,493 rapid antigen tests have been performed in municipalities, the aim of which is to identify asymptomatic people who may be carriers of the virus without knowing it. Of this number, 2,320 people tested positive for COVID-19.
The test results are documented in the BioPortal platform to provide official real-time data to the community.