UPDATE - 17 December 2020
The Government of the Canary Islands has just announced that they will allow antigen tests for international visitors coming to the archipelago starting tomorrow, December 10th.
The antigen tests were approved by means of a decree of the President, Ángel Víctor Torres, which will come into force tomorrow, after its publication this Wednesday, December 9, in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands.
This means that starting from December 10th, both PCR (RT-PCR) and rapid antigen detection tests will be accepted as diagnostic tests for active SARS-COV-2 infection, in the case of foreign tourists coming to the Canaries on holiday.
This decree is based on the powers derived from the State of Alarm - whose delegated competent authority is the regional president; this means that the Canary Islands have the power at the moment to establish that both PCR tests and antigen tests are accepted from tourists coming to the archipelago.
In options a) and b), in the transit from the airport/harbor to the residence, the
precautionary measures, including social distancing, hand hygiene, and use
of the mask should be observed. People choosing these options must also indicate to the health authorities the address of the residence or accommodation where they will carry out the isolation and a telephone number.
a) PCR (COVID-19 RT-PCR)
b) Rapid detection tests for SARS-CoV-2 antigens with a specificity of more than 97% and a sensitivity of more than 80%, according to the corresponding approval of a country of the European Union or the European Economic Area.
This Decree will be in effect from December 10th, 2020 until January 10, 2021, and may be subject to extensions or modifications in the terms provided.
Even after the approval, the Government of the Canary Islands maintains negotiations within the central Government of Spain to harmonize the regional standard with the national one.