Protecting Monaco’s citizens has always been a priority of the public service, but its members have been safeguarding the population in a completely unexpected way for a few months now.
A large number of the Public Security force have been helping health care professionals at the National Screening Centre set up at Espace Léo Ferré to carry out Covid tests since 24^th November 2020.
The 54 soldiers, 25 Prince’s riflemen and 29 firefighters were all trained to administer serological and antigen tests, as well as perform the nasal swabbing required for the gold standard PCR tests available in Monaco.
On any given day, the centre will have two or three soldiers present on-site to assist health care workers, and in 2020 worked 185 hours.
Since the start of 2021, that number of hours has been well-surpassed, with soldiers racking up 320 hours of work and counting.
In addition to being invaluable to the public, the training afforded to the public safety workers and soldiers means they are qualified to give tests to their co-workers as part of the prevention and surveillance measures in place in their barracks to reduce the spread of the virus.
The National Screening Centre is open to all Monegasque residents, those who have social insurance in the Principality and schoolchildren in Monaco with a prescription issued either by a local GP, a doctor from the Department of Health Affairs (DASA), a doctor from the Home Patient Follow-up Centre, a doctor from the Office of Occupational Medicine or a school doctor. Appointments are necessary and the centre is intended for those who are symptomatic or have had high-risk contact with an infected person.
 
Photo by Stephane Danna for the Government Communication Department