A total of 117 people visited Antwerp’s brand new coronavirus testing village on the site Spoor Oost on the day it opened.
That's a lot less than the current capacity of 600 tests per day - and that can still be scaled up to 4,000.
Only people without symptoms are allowed to be tested in the testing village; those who do have symptoms should consult their GP.
People wishing to get tested must also have an activation code to register on the testing village’s website. At the moment you only get such a code through a contact tracer or from the federal government after you return from a red zone abroad. Initiator Jan Stroobants, emergency doctor at ZNA, hopes that this system will be expanded soon.
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Due to the expected heat wave, the test village will adapt its opening hours this weekend, with appointments only being possible between 9:00 and 11:00 AM. Making an appointment is mandatory, emphasised the organisation, and is possible up to two days in the future.
TestCovid is currently only intended for residents of the city of Antwerp and the neighbouring municipalities of Borsbeek, Schoten, Stabroek and Wommelgem.
You can go there by car, on foot or by bike. If you come by car, you can use a test street where you do not have to leave your vehicle during the test. There may also be up to four people in one vehicle - or one per window that can be opened. The tests are carried out by nursing students of the AP University College, as part of their internship, and analysed by a laboratory in Zwijndrecht under the supervision of microbiology professor Herman Goossens.
The Brussels Times
