During the Crisis Center’s press conference, virologist Steven Van Gucht said that the corona figures remain stable. “And that’s a good thing because we’ve been living with more relaxation for a while.” According to the virologist, the numbers are stable thanks to the vaccinations. ‘But also because people still remain cautious.’
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“There is little news, and that is good news,” says virologist Steven Van Gucht during the Crisis Center press conference. ‘The academic year has started, the weather is wet and cold. And since October 1, a number of important relaxations have also come into effect. The fact that the figures will remain stable for the time being is a good sign.’
Van Gucht warned that it is important to continue to test sufficiently. The number of daily tests has dropped from 48,000 to about 45,000 per day in recent weeks. ‘At the same time, we see that the percentage of positive tests is increasing from 4.5 to 4.7 percent. We suspect that people are less inclined to get tested and that general practitioners are less likely to test if they have mild complaints. A lot of testing and easy access to it remains the cornerstone in the fight against the virus at this stage of the pandemic.’
The virologist also pointed to the positive trend in Brussels and Wallonia, where the number of infections decreases by 10 and 9 percent respectively. ‘It seems that the stricter approach there is bearing fruit’, it sounds.
There is a slight increase in Flanders and student cities such as Leuven or Louvain-La-Neuve, but that is not entirely unexpected, according to Van Gucht. ‘But tests can help not to pass infections on to parents or grandparents. We see an increase in infections in people over the age of forty. We’re going to have to monitor that closely.’
Changes to the PLF form
Karine Moykens, Chair of the Interfederal Testing & Tracing Committee, explains the changes to the Passenger Locator Form (PLF). It was recently decided that the form can only be completed online. ‘In this way we avoid illegible forms,’ says Moykens. ‘But those who do not have access to online tools can fill in the form in writing 180 days before returning to Belgium via the municipality or travel agency.’
Another important change is that from October 11, you must add proof to your PLF form that you have been vaccinated, tested negative, or have recently recovered. ‘You can add a screenshot or PDF.’ But from October 18 you can fill in your PLF form via the CovidSafeBe application. ‘In this way, all necessary data can be sent in a correct manner.’
All return travelers are required to complete a PLF form.
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