Rome offers drive-in Covid-19 swab tests.

Rome local health authorities ASL have introduced a 'drive-in' nasopharyngeal swab test for the diagnosis of Covid-19, during which people remain in their cars, reports Italian news agency ANSA.

The test, at the Santa Maria della Pietà clinic in the Monte Mario suburb, will be provided on the basis of a prior telephone evaluation by doctors from the Servizio Igiene e Sanità Pubblica (SISP), the Italian public health and hygiene service.

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The first swabs were carried out today on health workers - reports ANSA - but from 3 April until 5 April they will be available to all, at a rate of 50 per day. From 6 April SISP will decide how many tests per day will be carried out.

È partito oggi il nostro servizio di effettuazione #tamponi in modalità #drive-in. Senza scendere dalle #auto le persone invitate dal #sisp potranno effettuare il tampone in sicurezza. Grazie a tutti gli specialisti impegnati in questa operazione ♥️ #aslroma1 #covid19 #roma pic.twitter.com/SgD4H8lho5

— ASL Roma 1 (@ASLRoma1) April 1, 2020

"The so-called drive-in service allows us to optimise the use of both human resources and protective devices and allows us to greatly increase our production capacity," the SISP director of ASL Roma 1, Enrico Di Rosa, told ANSA.

Photo La Repubblica