According to the Agency for Care and Health, the rapid test bus, which has been circulating in East Flanders since last week, is illegal. VRT NWS reports this and the news is confirmed by the agency. “The bus must be seen as a population screening, and permission is required for this, but it has not been requested,” said spokesman Joris Moonens. Care and Health has now sent the initiators a letter about this.
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East Flemish companies that would like to have their staff tested for the corona virus, have been able to call on the rapid test bus, a private initiative of an insurance company, since last week. The bus drives to the company, performs corona rapid tests and the result is available within 20 minutes. The company pays 80 euros for each rapid test.
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Several GPs already had reservations about the commercial initiative, but according to the Agency for Care and Health it is even illegal. The test bus is subject to the conditions of a population screening and permission is required from the Flemish Minister of Health Wouter Beke (CD&V), which has not been requested. Care and Health has therefore sent a letter to the initiators to inform them of this.
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“Anyone who wants to organize a population screening can of course ask for permission. But in the meantime, you are actually not allowed to carry out such studies. It can also contain fines of up to 100,000 euros,” says spokesman Joris Moonens. “We are investigating with our legal department whether and how we should act against this initiative. We may still be able to reach a settlement, but we cannot say that at the moment.”
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In the meantime, the agency advises companies not to use the rapid test bus and to continue to follow the advice of the occupational health service or their own doctor. “It is also not because you let people in your company do quick tests that they no longer have to be quarantined, which is perhaps a false promise from companies like that”, Moonens concludes.
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