The employees of daycare centers in the Algarve, Baixo Alentejo and Alentejo Litoral began this Monday, 4th of May, to be tested at Covid-19. The initiative took off in Loulé and Aljustrel and the The aim is to have “a foundation of trust” so that when these spaces reopen, parents and staff will feel more secure.
The António Aleixo Foundation crèche, in Loulé, was the space chosen to give the kick off of this Government initiative. In the Algarve and Alentejo, tests will be carried out by Algarve Biomedical Center (ABC), a consortium that brings together the University of Algarve and the University Hospital Center of the Algarve (CHUA).
The decision to start in Loulé is due to the fact that this crèche is open, welcoming six children of parents who are at the forefront of the fight against the pandemic, as health professionals and security forces.
Nuno Marques, president of ABC, explained to journalists that the idea of this initiative, which will track all the employees of 129 day care centers in the Algarve, is "to reduce as much as possible the risk of contagion".
«Here, in the Algarve, we will carry out over 1500 tests. In Litoral Alentejano and Baixo Alentejo we will do around 600 in all day care centers, but they are sending us the most correct files. This is what is in the plan, but these numbers can increase and adjust according to circumstances,” he said.
Basically, «we are taking a picture of what we have today», he explained. The tests carried out will all be analyzed in the ABC laboratory, at the University of Algarve, using the same methodology as in the Covid+70, the initiative that is tracking homes in the region.
Only, in this case, there will also be employees of the day care centers taking the test in one of the drive-thru Of region. By the way, next weekend, 9th and 10th of May, the drive-thru from Portimão will be tracking daycare workers in Barlavento.
“The plan we have is to run the tests as close as possible to when the day care centers open. If I have a day care center that opens on the 18th, testing should be done closer to the date. Our plan is this: still today, we are going to have a meeting with all the day care centers to identify all these situations and have the most appropriate plan. This will be adjusted taking into account the opening date», explained Nuno Marques.
Still, the goal is to do all the tests until May 18th, when the day care centers must reopen.
At the António Aleixo Foundation, this morning alone, 33 employees were tracked. Regina Silva was one of them and expressed to journalists her satisfaction with this initiative: «the tests are a basis of trust for us and for the parents», he considered.
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, Regina has continued to work and highlights what has changed these days.
«I notice many differences. On a daily basis, we already had to take precautions due to hygiene, but nowadays they are even greater. We ourselves are sensitizing the children so that they are not always together. To play in the street, they have a little mask and I notice that they are already aware of what is going on», he said.
What about the future when the crèche reopens for all the children? This employee anticipates great difficulties, especially “in keeping distances”.
“The question of coughing or washing your hands is easier. Keeping the distance will be the most complicated, but we will raise awareness in the best way», he guaranteed.
“In the last week we were open, we started to limit activities and contacts. They came, they tried to ask for some cuddles and we no longer gave that tight cuddle as it should be. It will be complicated», he concluded.
The start of the tests, today, in Loulé, was accompanied by José Apolinário, Secretary of State appointed by the Government for the regional coordination of measures relating to Covid-19, by Vítor Aleixo, Mayor of Loulé, and also by Margarida Flores , the district director of Social Security.
Photos: Pedro Lemos | Sul Informação
Help us to do the Sul Informação!
Contribute your donation so that we can continue to make your journal!
Click here to support us (Paypal)
Or use our IBAN PT50 0018 0003 38929600020 44
Comments