Tuscan governor Eugenio Giani announced that as of Sunday, October 18, the region will be the first in Italy to offer online reservations which facilitate access to rapid COVID-19 testing. Thanks to a local pharmaceutical company, a diagnostic kit gives Coronavirus test results in 30 minutes regarding the presence of COVID-19 virus. This method was also developed to facilitate immediate diagnosis for triage tents, airports, ports and railway stations.
A text message prescription by a family doctor, pediatrician or an national health care doctor on night or weekend duty (guardia medica) is required to request the service, which can be reserved via computer, table or smart phone at the following address: https://prenotatampone.sanita.toscana.it.
Also necessary to complete the procedure is an Italian tax number (codice fiscale), which will be used to complete the online form in addition to entering information regarding one’s cell phone number and the time requested for the test appointment, available within the 24 hours following the request. Once the digital reservation arrives, it can be printed, and the result will also be sent digitally. Students are especially encouraged to request rapid COVID-19 testing.
October 17, 2020 revealed 879 new Coronavirus cases in Tuscany, an all-time high. The average age of new patients is 44 years old. Deaths of two 8o-year-old from the disease were also reported on the same day, in provinces of Florence and Arezzo.
Out of a population of 2.7 million residents in the region, 903.865 have received swabs, 13,548 alone on October 16. Tuscan hospitals currently have 359 Covid-19 patients, while there were only 170 a week ago and 111 a month ago. The rise has been less sharp in intensive care units; the numbers during the same period rose to 51 from 30 and, a month ago, 25. (rosanna cirigliano)
Read this Magenta Florence article for information on the different types of Covid-19 testing in addition to participating clinics and institutions.
To read more in Italian, visit Florence’s La Repubblica news site.
