Speaking to the Lusa news agency, the Mayor of Silves, Rosa Palma, said that the new post dedicated to the screening of COVID-19 “aims to remove from the health centre the users who are referred for analysis by the health authorities, as a measure to protect the public and clinical professionals”.
The COVID-19 screening facility in Silves is the second to be installed in the district of Faro, after a centre next to the Algarve Stadium started operating on Monday, between the municipalities of Faro and Loulé.
"There was a need to create a specific post to facilitate testing and preventing the population of the municipalities of Silves and Lagoa from going directly to the health centre," said the mayor.
According to Ms. Palma, the centre will start operating “very soon”, in a tent installed next to the Silves health centre, under the coordination of public health authorities.
"Everything is ready for its operation to start as soon as the public health authority says whether it is a 'drive-thru' mode or another model," said the mayor.
The first centre to open in the Algarve, in Faro, works on a 'drive thru' model, that is, citizens do not need to get out of the car for the testing to be done, with care provided through the vehicle window to cases referred by hospitals and the support line.
Furthermore, the Municipality of Silves have informed journalists that as of today, Tuesday, , in conjunction with the parish councils and parish unions in the municipality, there will be in a phased and gradual manner several actions underway involving the extensive cleaning of public places considered to be a priority, such as access to supermarkets and pharmacies, public banks, playgrounds, ATMs, and cemeteries.
“Although limited in terms of resources, this work will be carried out simultaneously in all parishes, by two vehicles and a team of two operators who will clean the places mentioned above with a spray boom that will be directed to the places of greater passage of people, such as the red promenade of the riverside in Silves and the seafront in Armação de Pêra”, details the municipality
The cleaning "will be carried out during the night, over several days, and the products used are safe for the circulation of people and pets after".
Additionally, it should be noted that the City Council "has been intensifying the hygiene around rubbish containers and adjacent areas in all locations in the municipality, in order to keep clean places that, due to the circumstances, will receive greater use".
The municipality “thanks everyone for their collaboration. Together we will contribute to the maintenance of public health, keeping the municipality clean!”.
