Firjan announced that it will offer industry workers tests to detect coronavirus infection. The program will begin in April.
This Saturday, the 4th, the Federation of Industries of Rio de Janeiro (Firjan) announced that it will offer mass testing for the new coronavirus for industry employees. 556,000 workers will be tested.
Developed by the SESI Occupational Hygiene Innovation Center (CIS HO), in the northern zone of Rio, together with the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). The program will begin in April and is expected to last until September.
About the tests
Up to 2,248 thousand tests will be offered per day and the results will be delivered within 24 hours, using the methodology identified as the “gold standard” for diagnosing the coronavirus. The tests will be carried out by collecting secretions from the nose and throat using flexible rods.
According to the organization, the exams will be offered free of charge by Firjan SESI for small industries and at cost price for large ones.
“In this difficult time that the whole world is facing, we need to come together. It is a moral obligation to help society in the fight against Covid-19. With this initiative, Rio’s industrialists, through Firjan, are ensuring the protection of workers. And they are helping companies in Rio to resume their activities safely,” said Eduardo Eugenio Gouvêa, president of Firjan.
The first batch of tests will be allocated to industries that have Firjan SESI outpatient clinics in their units and to Firjan SESI Health employees, who work on the front line of the program, collecting material for analysis.
In Rio de Janeiro, collections will be prioritized where there are currently 867 confirmed cases of covid-19. Priority in collections will be in the city of Rio de Janeiro, where there are 867 cases of covid-19, then moving on to the Metropolitan Region and, finally, to the entire State.