In Italian pharmacies, coronavirus tests will also be carried out after their closure and on holidays. The decision was made in connection with the storming of pharmacies, where unvaccinated people line up in long queues for tests in order to get the sanitary pass required at the workplace.
From October 15, Italy is required to have COVID-19 certificates in all workplaces, issued on the basis of vaccinations, recovery, or a negative test result in the last 48 hours.
Several hundred thousand tests have been performed every day since this requirement came into effect. The vast majority of them are those employees who have not been vaccinated and must repeat the tests two to three times a week.
Many pharmacies cannot accept all test takers, and sometimes they run out quickly. In many locations, seats have already been reserved for the coming weeks.
Therefore, the Federation of Pharmacy Owners has asked General Francesco Figliuolo, the Emergency Commissioner for the fight against the pandemic, to improve their work in this exceptional situation.
The result of this intervention is consent to testing also on holidays and outside of working hours of pharmacies. This is possible because the tests are carried out in tents set up in front of them.