In the month of November, almost 110,000 travelers returned to Belgium from a red zone, only 154 of them were tested. This is shown by figures from the Sciensano health institute. “This mainly illustrates how many people continue to travel while it is not recommended,” says virologist Steven Van Gucht.
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Between November 1 and November 30, almost 110,000 travelers arrived in Belgium from a country where there was code red. However, our government strongly advised against this. “That 100,000 is a fairly standard number of travelers, but strikingly many if you know that travel is not recommended,” says virologist Steven Van Gucht of Sciensano. “It illustrates how big the impact can be when people move around and how big it can be on the spread of the virus.”
The fact that only 154 people of those 110,000 got tested sounds alarming. “It is a fact that few travelers have been tested,” says Van Gucht. “But it also makes sense because that was the test strategy in November. The laboratories and contact tracers could no longer follow up, the waiting times to get your results were too long. ” So it was decided to set priorities: only people with symptoms were still tested. “Anyone who returned from a red zone and had no disease symptoms had to go to quarantine but was not tested.”
At the end of November, the testing strategy was changed again and people without symptoms could also have themselves tested again. From 18 December, the rules will be tightened up again: those who return from areas that qualify as red zones will be required to be quarantined for ten days and have themselves tested after seven days.
“We will check whether these people actually make an appointment to be tested. Those who don’t will receive a phone call from us, ”said Karine Moykens, the chairman of the interfederal testing and tracing committee.
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