Volunteers are helping to deliver COVID-19 tests
Starting from last week and during next four weeks Rally Estonia volunteers are transporting samples from mobile coronavirus (COVID-19) test centres across Estonia to the laboratory of Synlab in Tallinn for testing. Fuel for volunteers from Rally Estonia for covering the distances between seven cities is provided by fuel seller Circle K.
At the initiative of Synlab and Medicum and in cooperation with several other private medical institutions, car side sampling points were set up in Tallinn, Tartu, Pärnu, Kuressaare, Viljandi, Narva and Kohtla-Järve.
Every day Synlab vehicles drive over 3,000 kilometers per day delivering samples.
With the help of Rally Estonia volunteers, three extra rounds are now made on the Narva-Kohtla-Järve-Tallinn, Viljandi-Tartu-Tallinn and Pärnu-Tallinn routes, the total distance of which is over 1,000 kilometres. Additional routes to outbreak areas on Saaremaa island and Võru are also being weighed.
All volunteers underwent safety training and are using personal protective equipment. Samples are placed in special containers for transport.
„Estonian government has helped us to organize big international events and now it’s our turn to help. As we have organisation which has worked together many years and people willing to help. So, we offered that our team can be helpful in fight against COVID-19 virus,” said Tarmo Hõbe, one of the organizers of Rally Estonia.
„Circle K workers are standing every day in frontline and we sincerely wish that the fuel used to deliver samples to testing is helping to reduce the crisis in Estonia,” said Kai Realo CEO Circle K Estonia.
“We have decided to accept the offer from Rally Estonia as with their help can we bring more samples to testing,” said Rainar Aamisepp, chairman of the board of Synlab.
Family doctors began issuing referrals to patients with coronavirus symptoms for car side sampling at mobile sampling points a week ago.