Covid, free swabs at the Palermo railway station: over 150 tests carried out per day

Over 150 swabs every day in just 6 hours: from 8 to 14. The initiative, which since last Saturday allows anyone, free of charge, without reservation or medical prescription, to undergo the rapid antigen test in the center set up by the Italian Red Cross in the station of central Palermo, ‘doubles’. The garrison, in which five Cri volunteers of the Palermo Committee are engaged every day for each shift in addition to the health personnel, will also be active in the afternoon from tomorrow. From 8 to 20 it will be possible not only for travelers but above all for the most vulnerable people to take the test for free. The initiative was inaugurated last Saturday at the railway station of the Sicilian capital in the presence of the mayor Leoluca Orlando, the provincial anti-Covid commissioner Renato Costa, the president of Cri Sicily Luigi Corsaro, the Cri Committee of Palermo Laura Campione and the secretary Beppe Giordano. “We are having excellent feedback from all those citizens, who, animated by a great sense of responsibility, are going to the central station in our tampon administration point in an area made available to us by the FS group”, explains President Corsaro. The choice of the railway station is not accidental. “Thanks to the success of recent days experienced in Rome Termini and Milan Central – says the number one of Cri Sicilia -, Palermo also guarantees a fundamental service in this period not only for those who want to travel safely , but for all people who want to carry out anti-covid screening using a swab. The goal – concludes Corsaro – is to guarantee even the most vulnerable people, homeless people, in full compliance with the founding principles of the Red Cross “. project are supported by the Italian Red Cross thanks to the contribution of the European Commission (Directorate General for Health and Food Safety) which, through an agreement with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, has allocated 35.5 million euros to screening activities in seven European countries. The screening, thanks to the indispensable support of health workers and volunteers, will go on every day until October and will allow, at full capacity, to carry out up to over 6 thousand swabs per day throughout the national territory.