Fully-vaccinated no longer need tests to attend events
According to the Portuguese health authority (DGS), People who have been fully vaccinated for more than 14 days no longer need to take Covid screening tests in some contexts.
People who have been fully vaccinated for more than 14 days no longer need to take Covid screening tests in some contexts, such as family reunions and cultural, sporting or cooperative events, according to the Portuguese health authority (DGS).
The standard updated this Wednesday by DGS said that residents, users and professionals in some places, including Integrated Continuing Care units and institutions supporting migrants and refugees, as well as prisons and educational centres that have been fully vaccinated for more than 14 days, are also exempt from periodic screening tests.
In homes for the elderly, the indication remains for periodic testing of residents, users and professionals, regardless of their vaccination status, as an additional protective measure for these more vulnerable populations.
In healthcare units, patients and accompanying persons will not have to undergo regular tests, provided their vaccination schedule has been completed for more than 14 days.
In all other situations previously covered by the National SARS-CoV-2 Testing Strategy, testing will continue to be recommended regardless of vaccination status, for example, before hospitalisation
Laboratory tests must also be performed in health care units before elective surgery, admission for delivery assistance and admission to intermediate and intensive care units.
The DGS standard also states that people with a complete vaccination scheme for more than 14 days should continue to undergo Covid-19 diagnostic tests “in case of suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection” and “in risk contacts with a confirmed case”.
The information updated today, to adapt the national testing strategy to the high vaccination coverage of the Portuguese population and the current epidemiological situation, also defines that laboratory tests should not be performed on people with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the last 180 days after the end of isolation unless they have symptoms suggestive of the disease and are in contact with a confirmed case in the previous 14 days.
Another change introduced by the rules concerns the recommendation to perform tests for influenza virus (influenza A and B16 viruses) and respiratory syncytial virus (children under 2 years of age) in hospital patients.
