Ministry wants to distribute door-to-door self-tests and buses between Schiphol and test state | Inland

For two weeks, the government and the travel world have been arguing about how to prevent the import of the infectious variant of the virus, especially by young people. The ministry says it will use several tracks, although there is no coercion behind this for the time being.

A spokesperson said that everyone is advised to be tested when they return if they have been in a risk area. It is also recommended to do self-tests. VWS is also considering handing out self-tests at Schiphol. “We explain the red carpet for young people,” said Minister De Jonge (Public Health) on Tuesday. “Go to the GGD when you come back from vacation, get yourself tested.”

The ministries of VWS, Infrastructure and Foreign Affairs will also enter into discussions with parties such as the GGDs and the travel industry about what we can organize extra for the coming period to make returning travelers aware of the importance of testing. Those talks have been going on for some time. Last week, the travel industry already informed De Telegraaf that as far as they are concerned, it is the government’s move.

“To make testing as accessible as possible, all young people from secondary education, for example, are given a number of sets of self-tests with the urgent request to use them after their holidays and before they go to school. For the group that has just taken the exam, we will see if they can be given to the exam ceremony,” according to the ministry.

Advance Delta variant

This has everything to do with the worrying advance of the contagious and possibly also more dangerous Delta variant of the virus. This variant is rampant in Great Britain. In Portuguese party places such as Albufeira and on Mallorca, for example, Dutch young people come into contact with British peers a lot. When they return, they take the variant home with them. This leads to concerns, also at the cabinet.

However, the travel world mainly sees a role for the government, since a large part of the young people who go on a party trip arrange their own travel. They book a flight and an apartment, and thus stay out of sight of travel companies. A proposal by D66 and the VVD to set up a test street at Schiphol was received with approval from the travel industry. After all, this means that both young people who travel organized and self-bookers are accommodated.

However, the industry saw more in testing in hotels or at airports before departure. That turned out to be the key during the test trips in the spring, according to a Sunweb spokeswoman. “You don’t want them to be put together with 200 or 300 in a gate or plane and only then be tested.”

It is not yet known when a decision will be made about the bus connections to test locations or the handing out of self-tests. The ministry does say that it wants to learn from last year. “The lesson from last year is that young people are the largest risk group for the revival of the virus,” says De Jonge. “We ask young people to be tested at the GGD. It is our defense wall against the fourth wave.”

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