The Government of the Community of Madrid led by Isabel Díaz Ayuso again takes the initiative to face the Covid-19 pandemic in Spain. The regional Executive has proposed to the Government of Pedro Sánchez to carry out antigen tests to 100% of the crew from countries with “very high” incidence and the presence of “dangerous strains” of coronavirus.
This was requested this Friday by the Deputy Minister of Public Health and the Covid-19 Plan of the Community of Madrid, Antonio Zapatero , at the press conference this Friday to report on the epidemiological situation in the region.
The Government of the Community of Madrid has transferred this request after detecting an increase in the Colombian variant of Covid-19 in infections in the region and due to the “constant trickle” of positive cases that enter through the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport.
Antonio Zapatero has reported that in this last week two new cases of the Indian strain have been detected and the presence of “other strains” that “worries” the regional Executive as is the case of the Colombian strain. “This variant has a 484 mutation and can generate a problem in relation to vaccines”, has warned the Deputy Minister of Public Health. The presence of the British variant has decreased and is between 85-90%.
In this sense, Zapatero has pointed out that most of the PCR tests carried out at the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport on passengers have “very high viral loads.” “That they can travel with that viral load without any kind of control,” he pointed out.
For this reason, the Government of Isabel Díaz Ayuso proposes to Pedro Sánchez the performance of antigen tests on 100% of the crew from countries with “very high” incidence and presence of “dangerous strains” of coronavirus.
“There is a constant trickle of cases and they are arriving from the airport. The effective and efficient surveillance of Barajas must be given the importance it needs once and for all ”, Antonio Zapatero has warned.
The EU notifies Sánchez
This same Friday, the European Commission has asked the Government of Pedro Sánchez for “coherence” in the relaxation of travel restrictions due to the coronavirus. The European authorities have recalled that the “consensus” within the EU is to require a negative PCR for tourists from outside the EU who travel to a member state. The British are also included here.
“It is your responsibility, but we ask for consistency for the good of the citizens of the European Union,” said the chief spokesman for the European Commission, Eric Mamer , at a press conference in Brussels.
The spokesman for the Community Executive responsible for the Interior, Adalbert Jahnz , has also reminded the Government of Pedro Sánchez that the Brussels recommendation, supported by consensus by the 27 member states, states that they should “request a negative PCR from all people traveling by essential reasons or not, for any function or need ”, although it may exempt“ vaccinated ”tourists from this requirement.
