Starting this Friday, February 18, those who wish to enter Uruguay can do so with a negative result of an antigen test, according to Ordinance 214 of 2022 of the Ministry of Public Health (MSP) signed by the Minister of Public Health, Daniel Salinas. .
According to the resolution, it is already possible to enter the country “by means of a PCR-RT molecular biology technique (PCR test) or an antigen test indistinctly”, unlike the previous protocol, which only allowed entry to Uruguay with a negative PCR test.
The ordinance indicates that this decision is explained because “several countries in the region have adopted the antigen test as an alternative diagnostic technique to the PCR-RT molecular biology technique”, and because the General Directorate of Health (Digesa) “highlights the efficacy” of antigen tests.
Although antigen tests are less accurate than PCR tests, they are also cheaper and give the result in 15 minutes. The antigen test can be performed up to 72 hours before entering Uruguay.
