The Capital Area Health Services—Heilsugæsla Höfuðborgarsvæðisins in Icelandic—aim to start screening for COVID-19 in a tent by Suðurlandsbraut. There, people with COVID-19 symptoms can park and take the test without getting out of the car.
This was announced by Óskar Reykdalsson, director of Heilsugæsla Höfuðborgarsvæðisins, yesterday, according to Fréttablaðið. As infection numbers begin to rise again in Iceland, it is hoped that at this drive through testing station medical professionals can take one or two samples per minute.
Óskar emphasised that one should call first before arriving and then stay at home until they receive a result. “If someone has symptoms, it will be assessed on the phone whether or not they need to come give a sample. If that’s the case, they are to stay in isolation and not interact with people until they get a result,” he explained.
According to Vísir, the tent is supposed to be set up in front of the old Orkahúsið, where sampling is already taking place for the second screening that Icelanders and people coming in from high-risk areas have to undergo if they intend to stay in Iceland for more than ten days.
Although according to Óskar, many things still need to be considered with the implementation of these drive through tests. For example, they need to make sure that traffic is not congested. If long rows of cars form, they could reach until Ármúli or Grensávegur.
For more information on Iceland’s COVID-19 response, go to covid.is.
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