"It is forbidden to carry out generalized screening campaigns in companies," said Muriel Pénicaud, while groups such as the world leader in water and waste treatment, Veolia, had indicated their intention to test all their employees. . 

Companies are not allowed to conduct coronavirus screening campaigns among their employees, as some planned to do, said Labor Minister Muriel Pénicaud on Monday.

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The taking of "painful and logistically complex" samples

"It is forbidden to carry out generalized screening campaigns in companies," said Muriel Pénicaud on Franceinfo. The "national deconfinement protocol", published Sunday by the Ministry of Labor to guide companies in their resumption of activity, recalls "that at present, only RT-PCR virological tests on nasopharyngeal samples are reliable to confirm the diagnosis of Covid-19 ".

"The taking of these samples on medical prescription is painful, logistically complex (protective equipment and patient data processing) and must be carried out by trained professionals. Consequently, at this stage, no organization by the employers of samples for the purpose of 'virological screening cannot be part of the national screening strategy, "he said.

"There is medical secrecy", recalls Muriel Pénicaud

Companies that, like the world leader in water and waste treatment Veolia, had announced that they wanted to test their employees, will therefore have to give it up. Muriel Pénicaud also recalled that the company does not have to know the employee's medical situation. "There is medical secrecy. The occupational doctor can know it if the employee tells him about it, but he is subject to secrecy," said Muriel Pénicaud.

She also explained that "the employee has the right to refuse" that his temperature be taken at the entrance to the company because "it is an intrusion on the health field". The temperature measurement in companies is not recommended by the protocol anyway because an absence of temperature "does not mean an absence of Covid", recalled the minister.

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At Veolia, we indicate that several thousand employees have already been screened for ten days, both in PCR and serological tests (antibody search), all on a voluntary basis. "We welcome with amazement these recommendations, all of whose arguments are wrong," said a spokesperson, whether it was pain, respect for the data (the employee was only informed of the result) or taking action. in charge of tests (carried out by a specialized laboratory).