31 March 2021 - The programme, which will run for four months, between March and July this year, will provide around 4000 screening tests to COVID -19 in Portugal.
DPD Portugal will support the Safe Families initiative with the delivery of screening tests to COVID -19 from North to South of the country, covering a universe of about 220 people of Informal Caregivers, Cared People and their families. The Safe Families Program consists of free screening at Covid-19 for these people, being an initiative of the Science Testing Center (CTC), Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon (Sciences ULisboa), in partnership with the National Association of Informal Caregivers (ANCI).
Using the Pickup chain, the sample kits are picked up at the stores closest to each family. Consequently, the samples will then be left in the samples and sent to the CTC (within 48 hours), where they will be analyzed and the results communicated to the families via e-mail or telephone. Positive cases will also be reported to the competent health authorities. The entire process of delivery and collection of sample kits for free screening to Covid-19 is carried out through the DPD Pickup chain of stores, ensuring all the safety and hygiene of the process.
Currently, DPD has about 700 Pickup stores available in Portugal. Orders are delivered to Pickup stores from Monday to Saturday, guaranteeing users enormous convenience, thanks to the fact that they can pick up the order at the time that is most convenient for them.
"DPD Portugal is very pleased to be associated with this initiative, which aims to raise people's awareness of the importance of the role of these Informal Caregivers - who care, protect and provide care to other family members every day -, but also to the Cared and With this initiative, we want them to feel supported, above all, a small spark of hope at a time as challenging as the one we are currently experiencing ”, explains Carla Pereira, Director of Marketing and Communication at DPD in Portugal.
The “Safe Families - Caring for Those Who Care” initiative aims to help the population of informal caregivers by providing regular epidemiological surveillance to Caregivers, Cared Persons and their families. This regular screening program aims to prevent transmission and promote early case detection, reducing the risk of infection and spread within these families.
The screening strategy chosen allows for a safe, reliable and simple to implement surveillance. The screening will be done through weekly tests on saliva samples, collected at home by the participants themselves and sent for testing at the Science Testing Center. The samples will be analyzed by molecular PCR tests, according to DGS standards.
The Safe Families program will start by covering 70 families, about 220 people, in the Portuguese mainland, including in the municipalities of Lousada, Vila Nova de Famalicão, Vila Nova de Gaia, Vila Nova de Foz Côa, Amadora, Cascais, Sintra, Grândola, Odemira and Portimão. The program will run for four months, between March and July this year, and will provide about 4000 screening tests to Covid-19 in Portugal.
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About DPD Portugal
DPD Portugal, a leader in the domestic express transport market, has 14 stations (Vila Real, Porto, Maia, Guarda, Viseu, Coimbra, Leiria, Torres Novas, Póvoa de Santa Iria, Lisbon, Corroios, Évora, Faro and Funchal) and a fleet of more than 600 distribution vehicles. It employs 1,200 employees.
