Focused mass testing for Covid-19 continues in high-risk places in Andalucía

The Andalusian government is to carry out new mass testing programmes for Covid-19 in 26 municipalities across the region, including the Malaga town of Álora.

Among the other places to have mass testing is the city of Almeria and the Granada Alpujarras town of Órgiva.

The widening of the tests to more municipalities came as the results came in of last week's mass testing on all residents in the Malaga province village of Cuevas del Becerro.

Ten per cent positive

The small village had been experiencing very high case rates that stubbornly refused to drop. The PCR tests carried out showed 162 positives among the 1,599 tested, a rate of 10 per cent. People testing positive were told to self-isolate.

The more-accurate PCR showed a lower infection rate than the lateral-flow test carried out on a smaller sample a week earlier in Cuevas del Becerro.

The mayor of the village, Ana María García Picón, said that she hoped that with the measures now being adopted, normality would return little by little.

Regional Health Minister Jesús Aguirre urged all people to go for mass testing if called in their town or village.