WILLEMSTAD - Green light for corona self-testing in Curaçao equal to 'illegal sale' of the tests. The Public Health Inspectorate is concerned because people may use self-tests that are less or not at all reliable.
The sale of the antigen self-test has started last week Thursday. Only pharmacies can sell self-testing to people. Large companies may purchase self-testing from the approved importers, on the condition that their employees can use them for free.
The inspection is very concerned that the self-tests are now resold on the island. The tests can be damaged without people even knowing. For example, if the self-tests cannot be properly transported or stored, the inspection reports, they can then be as good as unusable.
Quality requirements
According to Inspector General for Public Health Sirving Keli, the sale of self-tests is deliberately arranged through a central way. Only in this way can the inspection keep an eye on whether or not the importers and pharmacies meet the strict quality requirements.
If they are resold illegally or purchased, the quality cannot be guaranteed, says inspector Keli.
The rise of the omicron variant ensures that there is a rush on self-testing, which were banned on the island last year. Due to the explosive increase in infections, the cabinet has decided to still allow it so that people are testing faster when they have symptoms.
The number of official registered infections remains sharply growing on Curaçao. In total there are now 9220 active corona cases on a population of 160,000 people. On Tuesday, 691 people were officially tested positive. There are 30 people in the hospital, of which 10 of them in the Intensive Care. Yesterday the government announced that 3 patients have passed away in the hospital.
A self-test is not intended as the replacement for the official PCR testing.
Maximum price
Social media shows how the prices for self-tests vary considerably: between 9 and 20 guilders per test. The cabinet wants to set a maximum price for the Corona self-test. This was confirmed by minister of economy Ruisandro Cijntje in a press release.
The minister sees that there are unrest and concern among residents because of the prices. “Although we have a free market, but it is also a fact that we are in the middle of a pandemic. Where it appears necessary, we will intervene as soon as possible,” says Minister Cijntje.
Monopoly
There is criticism that the sale of the COVIS-19 self-test must be sold exclusively through the pharmacies. But that cannot be regarded as monopoly, says inspector Keli. “There is no question of a monopoly, because the possibility is also offered to public organizations and large companies to purchase the COVID-19 self-test. Each wholesaler is free to purchase the self-testing. Every pharmacy can sell it.”