Tag: testing

Glasgow – Studying the virus

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Glasgow City region has capitalised on its strengths as city of science and innovation. Activities include researching vaccines, helping to understand more about how the virus works, designing and developing protection equipment for health workers, and utilizing new technologies. You can read more here

Contact: Joe Brady

Guimarães – Opening daycare

Guimarães is testing all daycare employees for COVID 19 in preparation for the reopening of daycare centres on 18 May. All employees (teaching and non-teaching staff) will be tested. This covers about 450 employees in 39 institutions, and is taking place within the scope of the Government’s return to normality plan, in conjunction with the Ministry of Social Security. The tests start this Monday, 11 May 11, at the facilities of the Pro-Child headquarters. More information (in Portuguese) here.

Contact: Crisalia Albves

Dusseldorf – New testing plans

In cooperation with the University Hospital Dusseldorf, the municipality is planning an antibody testing of 1,000 people (representative sample) in order to obtain information about the estimated number of unknown cases of the Coronavirus infection. In addition Dusseldorf’s testing centres are now able to inform citizens about negative test results by SMS, while positive results are still communicated by phone and are followed up by ‘containment scouts’. Read more here and here

Contact: Stefanie Nietfeld

Madrid – Car parks guide for covid testing

Experts have prepared this a guide to help decision-makers, from a technical point of view, on the criteria to identify the most suitable car parks for Covid testing. Urban car parks have a number of convenient characteristics for this purposes, such as allowing for significant flows of people in an orderly manner while facilitating the implementation of the necessary separation and control conditions. Read more here

Contact: Lola Ortiz Sánchez

Katowice – Buses for testing

Katowice is sending three buses to collect samples from its residents. The collective effort of the three teams will give the city a testing capacity of 3000 tests a month. By monitoring testing needs, the city will evaluate if it needs to arrange more buses. To further limit the spread, the city disinfects bus and tram stops, benches and trash bins, tunnels and underground passages on a daily basis. Special attention is given to handles and facilities for the disabled. Read more here and here (in Polish)

Contact: Judyta Etmanska

Poznan – Manufacturing test kits

In Poznan scientists from the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences have developed the production of their own test in cooperation with Polish enterprises. Its quality is equal to commercial tests, and it is much cheaper and available in quantities of hundreds of thousands.

More information here.

Contact: Anna Aleksandrzak

Zagreb – Drive in testing

Zagreb has introduced drive in testing to speed up diagnosis and increase the number of people tested. People do not have to get out of the car in this testing, which increases the safety level of the person being tested and the microbiologist at the department. Appointment for testing will continue to be carried out through a selected family doctor.

Contact: international.relations@zagreb.hr

Munich – Corona tests on the go for medical staff

Besides three drive-in coronavirus testing stations, the city of Munich is setting up a walk-through testing for medical staff. Doctors, nurses, assistants at hospitals and other health care professionals can easily and quickly reach the station and get the test result within 24 hours via sms. Read more here (in German)

Contact: Larissa Kiesel

Dusseldorf – Drive-through testing, diagnostic centre and hotline

In order to keep up with testing its citizens for coronavirus infections, Dusseldorf has established a drive through testing centre. People can now make appointments via the coronavirus information line and get tested without getting out of their cars. They will be given the results 24 to 36 hours later. This service is provided only for people working in healthcare, in public safety jobs and critical infrastructure. The drive-throughs are supposed to run over 100 tests per day and should relieve Düsseldorf’s diagnostic centre and hospitals. Read more about the drive-through (in German) here.

The diagnostic centre, running alongside the drive-through, was opened in order to relieve the burden of general medical practitioners in the local health system. Appointments for a test are only issued via the coronavirus information line. Read more (in German) here.

The helpline has run 24/7 since the end of February to provide general information on the virus and also coordinate appointments for the testing of possibly infected citizens in the diagnostic centre. Read more (in German) here.

Contact: Stefanie Nietfeld

Madrid – More health staff for home monitoring

The healthcare personnel of Madrid Salud, an autonomous body dependent on the Madrid City Council, will be incorporated into the primary care services to carry out home surveillance of people with symptoms of coronavirus. Thus, around thirty health professionals, including doctors, nurses and psychologists, will provide their services from this week. Read more here (in Spanish)

Contact: Ana Buñuel