A new coronavirus testing centre for asymptomatic people will open in Brussels on Monday, one of four new sites announced as officials seek to quell rising coronavirus figures in the capital.
The new testing centre will be set up in Boulevard Pacheco in northern Brussels, Inge Neven of the Brussels' Health Inspectorate confirmed.
The site will do PCR tests to detect the new coronavirus on people who have no symptoms and will be a relocation of the emergency testing site of the nearby Clinique Saint-Jean, who will co-run the centre.
Related News
As coronavirus figures in the capital region continue to swell, officials are seeking to boost the capital's testing capacities and move them outside of hospitals ahead of the cold season, in order to avoid overwhelming hospital services.
"With the new testing centres we want to take steps to increase our testing capacity," Neven told Bruzz. "The aim is also to be prepared for the winter."
"We really want for people to are asymptomatic to be tested outside hospitals so that they leave room for urgent admissions," she added.
At least three other testing centres are set to open under similar arrangements throughout the capital, all of which authorities will aim to link to a hospital to simplify their management.
Officials are looking to have two testing centres in Brussels which could be reached by foot or public transport and two a bit further away, accessible by car, according to reports by Bruzz.
Zones under consideration for the three upcoming centres include the area around Gare du Midi in southern Brussels and the Esplanade Heysel in the north, near the Atomium and the Mini Europe theme park.
Talks to finalise the set up of the remaining testing centres are ongoing and Neven said they were expected to conclude by next week.
With the new testing centres, Brussels is seeking to boost its daily testing capacity up to 5,000 initially and later 9,000.
The Brussels Times
