The purchase from China of 640,000 express tests which proved to be insufficient and not capable of detecting the coronavirus caused scandal in Spain. The Spanish authorities have admitted having bought supplies ...

Coronavirus: the purchase from China of 640,000 defective tests causes a scandal in Spain

Installation of medical equipment at the new field hospital for the treatment of patients with coronavirus in an exhibition center in Madrid, March 26, 2020. Community of Madrid / Handout via REUTERS

Text by: François Musseau

The purchase from China of 640,000 express tests which proved to be insufficient and not capable of detecting the coronavirus caused scandal in Spain. The Spanish authorities have admitted purchasing from a Chinese supplier who did not supply the required goods. Result: Madrid must immediately recommend new tests because there is an emergency.

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From our correspondent in Madrid,

The company in question is called Shenzen, Bioeasy Biotechnology. It is a Chinese company that had been chosen by the government of Pedro Sanchez to provide 640,000 rapid tests to detect with people whether or not they are carriers of the coronavirus.

However, after distributing 8,000 of these tests, health professionals in the Spanish capital realized that they were not effective. In practice, this means that they can perfectly negative an individual who is contaminated by Covid-19.

Snub

For the Spanish authorities, this is a snub, especially since the Chinese Embassy in Madrid clarified that the company in question did not have a license and therefore should not have been detention.

The Conservative opposition has expressed its anger. One of the leaders of the People's Party (liberal right) even demanded the resignation of the socialist leader Pedro Sanchez. The latter admitted his error and immediately ordered 640,000 new tests from another Chinese company.

This delay is problematic because these tests must urgently be used to screen healthcare personnel, particularly affected in Spain by the pandemic.

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