Belgium will check wastewater from planes arriving from China for brand new COVID variants as a part of new steps in opposition to the unfold of the coronavirus as infections in China surge, the federal government introduced on Monday.
“This will be an additional monitoring objective to verify that the data we receive from China is accurate,” Steven Van Gucht of the Sciensano nationwide public well being institute instructed Reuters.
He mentioned Belgium was conscious that some COVID-infected passengers won’t use the bathroom throughout their flights, and subsequently the brand new measure was “not meant to track people but to track independently what is happening in China.”
Belgium can also be asking vacationers from China to check themselves for COVID-19 in the event that they present signs seven days after arriving, however won’t implement this measure.
At a press convention asserting the brand new measures, Belgian Health minister Frank Vandenbroucke mentioned {that a} European Union-wide coverage was wanted in direction of China’s COVID surge.
EU well being officers will maintain talks on Wednesday on a coordinated response.
Authorities around the globe are imposing or contemplating curbs on travellers from China, together with necessary testing for COVID, as infections there unfold following Beijing’s rest of “zero-COVID” guidelines. — Reuters
