Benidorm will carry out quick tests on Security Forces and essential workers

Benidorm City Council, together with IMED Levante Hospital and Visit Benidorm Foundation, will carry out rapid tests to detect specific antibodies to COVID-19 for the Security Forces and essential services workers. This has been announced today by the mayor, Toni Pérez, in a telematic press conference in which he transferred all the details of this 'Patti Recovery' project, which seeks to “detect the real situation of the population regarding the condition of the virus". A project that will be supervised by the Department of Health and whose results will be transferred to Public Health.

The mayor has advanced that in the initial phase of the project there will be "500 rapid tests" provided by IMED Levante and intended for Local Police, National Police and Civil Protection members - who are serving in the space for homeless people enabled in 'Raúl Mesa'- pavilion. The tests of this first phase will be carried out this Friday, April 17, in Palau d’Esports l’Illa.

In a second phase, "tests will be carried out on the volunteers of the Collective Aid Network (#RAC) and municipal personnel who are currently providing basic and essential face-to-face services of the Administration." Subsequently, it will be the turn of the rest of the municipal staff, as well as "all those companies that are listed as essential services, municipal concessionaires and establishments and activities covered by the decree of state of alarm." These companies must apply to join the project.

Toni Pérez has clarified that the second and third phases of the project will be carried out according to the completion of the previous one in function and new tests are available; and added that at later times companies that restart their activity may also join ‘Patti Recovery’. In addition, it has advanced that "the City Council is advancing the operation" to be able to make massive tests to retired people, at risk of exclusion and unemployment "in case the autonomous and / or state health authorities, who are the competent ones, do not carry them out in a reasonable period of time. "

The mayor has stressed that this ‘Patti Recovery’ project is part of the actions promoted by the City Council to address the health crisis situation, which is also already a social and economic crisis, derived from COVI-19. Actions that work "on a scale to reach the entire population, starting with the most vulnerable people" or "in this case, the people most exposed to the virus and who are working on the front line developing basic jobs." A task that the mayor has applauded and appreciated, as he has also done "with the rest of the population that helps to overcome this emergency situation by staying at home."

Operation

The technological program of ‘Patti Recovery’ project will generate codes that the institution or company must distribute among its staff. Subsequently, each individual must register on the platform and undergo a screening questionnaire. Asymptomatic patients will be scheduled to perform the test, while symptomatic patients will be referred to the Ministry's instructions.

Through the data collected with ‘Patti Recovery’, the current situation can be controlled and managed, obtaining an estimated degree of immunity. In a second phase, operating protocols and procedures can be established in all areas prior to recovering normality, to later return to activity and be able to scale the project.

In short, "put new technologies at the service of citizens and administrations" in this case in a health emergency situation.

SDG

This innovative project is also linked to the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to which Benidorm is committed and aligned. Specifically, the project complies with SDG number 3 ‘Health and Well-being’, number 9 ‘Innovation’, and number 17 ‘Alliances to achieve objectives’.