One-third of Covid tests taken in Brussels are travel-related

One-third of Covid tests taken in Brussels are travel-related
Credit: Belga

In the Brussels-Capital Region, a third of the 40,000 Covid-19 tests taken each week are carried out on people returning from travelling, according to the head of the Brussels health inspectorate, Inge Neven.

This is the highest number in Belgium, Neven said at the weekly press briefing of the Common Community Commission (Cocom) on Monday.

With the recent relaxations, the number of travellers is increasing, and some 12,000 people returned to Brussels from a journey abroad last week, including 1,700 from high-risk areas where the virus circulates widely. Of these, 1% tested positive.

Additionally, the Delta variant (which was first detected in India) is on the rise in Belgium, and is now the second most common with 12.1% of cases.

"It is important to have had two doses of the vaccine in order to combat this variant," said Neven. "It is also very important that people returning from high-risk areas get tested on their return and that they respect a quarantine in case of infection."

In July and August, a peak in testing is expected, but with a capacity of 12,000 tests per day (including private testing centres), the Capital Region should be able to handle the increase, according to her.

The Brussels Times


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