Facilitating the Employee Testing Process

To facilitate the employee testing process, service providers and organisers whose employees have not been vaccinated against or recovered from Covid-19, but who come into contact with customers in the course of their work, will also be able to use rapid antigen tests for testing.

The amendments apply to service providers operating at the medium, or “yellow”, safety level, which requires employees who come into contact with customers and do not have a vaccination or recovery certificate to hold a testing certificate. Until now, it was stipulated that a negative PCR test was required in order to obtain a testing certificate. This testing method takes more time, as the samples collected are transported to and tested in a laboratory, and it may be necessary to wait several hours for the results.

By contrast, the rapid antigen testing method provides a quick result. Following sample collection, the results are available within just a few minutes. In all cases, testing is carried out by medical personnel, with the sample taken from the nose and throat. Employees may be tested either by visiting a laboratory or by the employer organising testing for the group at the workplace.

The testing certificate is valid for 96 days from the time the samples are collected, and during the transitional period, until 1 August, testing is provided at the state’s expense.

Author:

Ministry of Health

vm.gov.lv