Individuals and businesses can now purchase COVID-19 tests at home or in their workplace, within the confines of Prague – this was announced by the authorities of the Czech capital on Tuesday. Upon agreement, a mobile laboratory in a specially adapted ambulance will arrive anywhere in Prague on the agreed date.
The new testing method presented at a press conference by Deputy Mayor Petr Hlubuček allows for up to 94 persons to be tested at once and the results to be ready within a couple of hours.
A new weapon in the fight against COVID-19
Once a hotspot of the disease, Prague is now managing it quite well in comparison to the rest of Czechia. According to the opinion of Hlubuček, this is thanks to the strict respect of the government-imposed measures, but also to the timely tracking of asymptomatic patients.
“We are now adding this mobile laboratory to all test sites. It is able to perform bulk samples and evaluate the results within two or three hours. I believe that it will help us to manage the whole situation in Prague even better, ” the Deputy Mayor for Security was quoted saying on the municipal webpage.
The “PCR delivery” works as follows: firstly, one should order the tests via email at [email protected] or on the covid line 739 500 500, giving the details about the location, date and number of persons to be tested. On the specified date, the mobile laboratory, equipped with everything needed to perform the sampling arrives.
Medics and certified laboratory staff will take PCR samples and analyse them. In addition, it will be possible to perform an immunochromatographic test for antibodies as well as an antigen test, both of which will be evaluated on-site within ten minutes.
The price for the service depends on the number of samples taken, starting from 2500 CZK per person (about 95 euros) + another one-off payment of 5,000 CZK for the ambulance. Both prices decrease accordingly, should more samples be ordered at once. With fewer patients, the results can be ready within just 2 hours of testing.
The new service is expected to help entrepreneurs to resume economic activity swiftly, as it gives them the opportunity to quickly test groups of people working together and isolate the ones who might spread the disease. It could be equally useful for the planning of family celebrations.
Source: TheMayor.EU
