Laboratory inspection of retail and construction workers begins on May 4, 2020

In order to ensure control the management of the pandemic and in the context of controlling the implementation of the strategy for the gradual lifting of restrictive measures and restarting the economy, the Council of Ministers decided to reactivate from May 4, 2020 the retail and construction companies.

At the same time, in order to manage the COVID-19 pandemic and control the consequences of lifting the restrictions, the Council of Ministers approved the Minister of Health’s proposal for diagnostic tests on retail and construction sector workers.

Sampling will start on May 4, 2020 and will be completed on May 25, 2020. The laboratories participating in this Program are listed  in the attached table here.

More specifically, 14,000 of the 20,000 laboratory tests are aimed at employees in retail businesses, and 6,000 examinations are aimed at construction workers.

1. Employees in retail businesses

  • Employees of retail beverage and food companies are excluded from the Program.
  • The Program concerns employees who are employed in positions that have direct contact with the public service, such as sellers and cashiers.
  • Depending on the number of people they employ, they can be considered as follows:
    • In companies with up to 3 employees, 1 person per property will be tested.
    • In companies with up to 10 employees, 3 people per property will be tested.
    • In businesses with more than 10 and less than 30 employees, 6 people per property will be tested, and
    • In businesses with more than 30 people, 10 people per property will be considered.
    • The appointments will be arranged upon request of the companies and not by personal appointments and the management of the company will have to fill in the “COVID-19 Sampling Request Form” HERE. and send it to the laboratory of its choice.

2. Workers on construction sites

  • The control of construction site workers will be done in two ways, as follows:
    • The 3,000 tests sampling will be done using mobile units at the construction site.
    • For the remaining 3,000 diagnostic tests, appointments will be arranged at the sampling centers designated by each laboratory and listed in the relevant table.
    • In collaboration with the Ministry of Labor, Welfare and Social Affairs, the labs will be informed by Wednesday, May 6, 2020, about the list of construction sites that will be included in the Program, as well as the number of examinees per construction site.
    • For companies that will not be included in the sampling that will be done with a mobile unit, the appointments will be arranged at the request of the companies and not after a personal appointment and the

business management will have to fill in the “COVID-19 Sampling Request Form HERE   ” and to send it to the laboratory of her choice.