The AFE asks if the clubs are authorized to test the players - La Provincia

The Association of Spanish Soccer Players (AFE) has sent two new briefs to the Ministry of Health and at Higher Sports Council (CSD) for to confirm whether the clubs are authorized to carry out tests players medical before returning to activity.

"Our association underlines in its writings that the footballers are fully committed to our society, and therefore raises a simple question to the Ministry and the CSD:" Can you tell us if the clubs are authorized to carry out tests before returning to the activity right now? "And if so,"Can you tell us the authorizations for this purpose? ", the union explained in a statement.

The group of players went back to the ministry and the CSD in this regard, after having done it on the 22nd, to transfer "again the concern of the First and Second Division footballers on the return to training and testing, understanding that this decision must be taken by the Government ".

"AFE wants to emphasize that the footballers have stated in the meetings they have had with this union that, in their opinion, consider that there are other groups that need more than them to carry out tests and access to other sanitary material at this time, "he said.

Therefore, "in this sense of responsibility to our society, AFE rejects any type of stigmatization when the matter in question affects public health, remembering that other championships and competitions of other soccer categories, of both sexes, which are not mentioned and are also affected, are also affected. "

The union asks the Administration to rule "for legal certainty for those affected in this case (...) in the face of a matter of which they are aware, it produces controversy in a society whose pandemic has caused thousands of victims."

"Public health is not a matter of some, nor of others, but of the whole society. As workers, footballers will comply with the prescriptions indicated by the clubs from occupational hazards. And from AFE it is absolutely necessary that the Government clarify this issue of the tests, "he adds in his text.

The union recalls that the current regulations on the state of alarm indicate that "the carrying out of diagnostic tests for the detection of COVID-19 in those cases where there is a prescription prior by a physician and comply with criteria established by the competent health authority. "

It also refers to the requirements of Royal Decree 463/2020 of March 14 for the performance of diagnostic tests for the detection of COVID-19, the acquisition of material and those related to the notification of confirmed cases.

According to the Royal Decree, "any entity of a public or private nature that, in connection with the diagnostic tests for the detection of COVID-19, purchases swabs for sampling, virus transport medium, inactivation reagents, extraction kits of nucleic acids or PCR reactions, or rapid diagnostic tests, must inform the competent health authority of the autonomous community in which they are located and / or provide their services, with express indication of the type of material, number of units acquired and use destination ".

"Once this information has been received, the The Ministry of Health may adopt, where appropriate, the appropriate measures in response to criteria of necessity and urgency, with the aim of guaranteeing the principles of equity and cohesion ", adds the norm.