Alex Trelinski
PRICES for COVID-19 antigen tests are set to be capped in Spain.
Speaking to Cadena SER Radio this Monday, Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, said: “My team is going to look at price control and regulations.”
He pointed out that IVA tax from the tests was removed at the same time as the levy on masks.
There has been widespread criticism from consumer groups and politicians over rising antigen test costs fuelled by the spread of the Omicron variant.
Pharmacies reported shortages over the Christmas holiday coupled with price hikes.
Sanchez also said that Spain would this January buy 344,000 doses of the Pfizer antiviral pill.
“This will reduce by 88% the possibility of hospitalisation for vulnerable patients,“ he predicted.
He suggested that the Omicron peak rate of infections would be reached sometime this month.
Sanchez also hinted that COVID-19 case monitoring might change as the number of people dying from the virus has fallen.
“We have the conditions to gradually, with precaution, open the debate at a technical level and European level, to start evaluating the evolution of this disease with different parameters than we have until now, he told Cadena SER.
The El Pais newspaper reported this Monday that the change could see monitoring methods similar to that for influenza, which would mean fewer case reports and not testing everybody who might show coronavirus symptoms.
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