Anyone who passes for the mandatory test on their return from a foreign corona hot spot will be punished. The tightening follows the observation that only half of the returning Belgians from hotbeds have themselves tested. De Tijd writes that on Wednesday.
–
Anyone returning from a red zone must undergo a corona test and be quarantined for at least nine days. With code orange, isolation is strongly recommended. For many this appears to be a bridge too far. Although it is mandatory, only one in two Belgians who return from a red area – by land, sea or air – have themselves tested for possible contamination with the corona virus.
There has been an agreement with the regions to implement the same principle for tourists as before for high-risk contacts. These are people who have been in close contact with diagnosed corona patients for a long period. Via an amendment to the law, high-risk contacts are obliged to have themselves tested for corona and to be quarantined.
As a result, there are also sanctions for those who do not comply with the rules, fines of 208 to 4,000 euros, and even prison sentences of eight days to six months. Belgians who return from corona foci and ignore the guidelines will from now on fall under that regime, says De Backer.
High-risk contacts are called if they have not had themselves tested after one or two days. De Backer said it is important that contact tracing, a competence of the regions, also takes that task to heart for returning tourists.
–
