More than 300 people who tested positive told the GGD last week that they had been to Spain or Portugal. The majority of them, 205, are between 15 and 19 years old, according to the RIVM. The RIVM says that this mainly concerns final exam students. That is much more than in the two weeks before, when only 5 traveling 15 to 19 year olds tested positive.
Rector Geert Looyschelder of the Jordan Montessori Lyceum Utrecht in Zeist is not surprised. In the Utrecht region, around forty students from various schools returned from their final exam trip last week with corona, he says he heard from the GGD. Looyschelder is curious whether more regions have been affected: ‘All over the country, students go on holiday when the exams are over.’
The GGD Utrecht was unable to name a concrete number on Tuesday evening, but confirms that various clusters of young people have arisen. This may have happened on holiday in Spain and Portugal, but the GGD is also investigating whether the virus may have been spread at exam parties. The students attend several schools in several cities. The GGD leaves it to the schools involved to publicize the infections.
According to Looyschelder, some students returned from Mallorca or Albufeira last Thursday, on the day the final exam results were announced. “They walked into the school hoarsely and with their suitcases still in hand. I’m glad we complied with the corona rules at the time.’
No resit due to corona
According to Looyschelder, some schools in his region cannot participate in the resits because they are at home with corona. The Jordan Montessori Lyceum has urged students, parents and staff to exercise caution. Students are advised to submit to a self-test and to be tested by the GGD in the event of complaints. ‘We have only had one infection at school in recent weeks, it is really important to stay alert now.’
Travel to Mallorca and Albufeira is allowed. Unlike the mainland, there is no negative travel advice for the Spanish islands. Portugal has been on ‘yellow’ for weeks. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the advice from the RIVM does not give any reason to tighten the travel advice for both countries for the time being.
The RIVM does ask young people who have been to Spain and Portugal to be tested, even if they have no complaints. ‘There is no cause for great concern. But we are careful’, let the institute know. ‘And we want to know whether these young people are infected with the delta variant.’ In the Netherlands, this variant, which was first identified in India, has now been detected in samples 27 times, of which 7 times in the past week.
‘Worried’
The delta variant is circulating in the United Kingdom, among other places, and many Britons go on holiday in Albufeira and Spain. Last summer is still vivid in the minds of many. Then the second wave of infection followed after many holidaymakers, including young people, contracted corona abroad.
Precisely because the infection figures are falling, the GGD GHOR is ‘concerned’ about the young people who return from vacation with corona. The umbrella organization and RIVM will therefore discuss the possibilities of having young people tested as soon as possible after their holiday on Wednesday morning. “We want to maintain the gains of recent weeks and prevent the infections from increasing again. Especially now that society is opening up more and more’, according to the GGD GHOR.
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