Catalonia braces for election with rehearsal and Covid-19 tests for poll workers

With only four days to go before Catalonia's uncertain and unprecedented election, held in the midst of a global pandemic, authorities have begun preparing for the date with a rehearsal as well as Covid-19 tests for those who have been randomly selected to serve as poll workers.

Although other election drills have already been held throughout Catalonia, Wednesday morning's at Terrassa's Masia Freixa polling site, organized by the local council, was publicly broadcast to set an example of how health and safety protocols are intended to work on Sunday.

Around 40 volunteers were asked to act as poll workers, substitute poll workers, and voters under the gaze of the press and foreign action minister Bernat Solé, and demonstrated the correct use of PPEs—essential as Covid-19 positives and their close contacts will also be allowed to vote—and physical distancing.

Covid-19 tests for poll workers

The health department has begun to carry out antigen tests on everyone that has been called to work on Sunday, including poll workers, their substitutes, and Civil Protection staff in an attempt to make the election as safe as possible given the adverse circumstances.

The first of these non-obligatory tests were performed in Mollerussa, in Catalonia's western Pla d'Urgell county near the city of Lleida, on Wednesday morning.