The Grand Est region formed a company on Thursday to be able to buy several million covid-19 serological tests intended to make deconfinement possible, we learned Thursday from the community.
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The permanent committee of the regional council, meeting Thursday, voted the creation of a mixed economy company (Sem) for the acquisition of a stock of serological tests intended for the territories of the Great East, told AFP Alexandre Mora, chief of staff to the community. The capital of the Sem, amounting to 10 million euros, will be distributed between the Region (51%, or 5.1 million euros), the Banque des Territoires, the banking group Crédit Mutuel and others communities in the Grand Est who wish to join, said Alexandre Mora.
Called " Dynamise ", the company would be " able " to acquire several million tests from companies marketing them from the start of next week, as soon as " we will be sure of their efficiency ", added Mr. Mora. The " precise figure " of orders could then be determined, he added. Health authorities could confirm the effectiveness of the tests this weekend. According to Strasbourg elected official (PS) Catherine Trautmann, two million tests have been " pre-ordered " from the company Biosynex in Illkirch-Graffenstaden (Bas-Rhin).
The management of Biosynex had indicated at the beginning of the week to be able to market by the end of April 2 to 3 million serological tests with rapid detection (in ten minutes) produced by a Chinese partner, while declaring " stay in the awaiting government directives ”.
Former Minister of Culture and head of the socialist list at the municipal level in Strasbourg, Catherine Trautmann is at the origin of a " task force " of elected officials and entrepreneurs who called for the massive purchase of serological tests and to do " From Alsace and its neighboring territories " is piloting a " large-scale " screening of the population, in order to be able to envisage deconfinement.
In a statement released on Thursday, this task force " welcomes the fact that this appeal has been heard " and has resulted in the establishment of " regional short circuits ". It " invites the State to follow suit ". " If our approach is convincing, it can be used elsewhere, in regions also strongly affected by the Covid-19 epidemic such as Ile-de-France and Hauts-de-France, " said Catherine Trautmann at AFP. The initiative of the Grand Est region voted on Thursday was launched " with the consent of the State ", said Alexandre Mora.