People landing at Brussels Airport returning from a red zone will soon be able to get tested on site.
This will be possible “from the end of this week or the beginning of the next,” Le Soir reported on Monday.
The test, which would not be imposed at the airport, “would above all allow passengers to begin the measures that are required of people returning from a red zone,” according to Le Soir.
“The tests will be analysed in the mobile lab which makes the results available within a couple of hours,” Brussels Airport said on its website. The laboratory the airport is working with is accredited by Sciensano, Belgium’s public health institute.
According to Brussels Airport, the testing centre will also be for passengers to countries that require a negative Covid-19 test upon entry, and for people with an activation code who have been reached by contact tracers.
Related News
- A test does not replace the need to quarantine, warns Crisis Centre
- Coronavirus tests will be possible at Brussels Airport from September
Travellers will be able to register on site, the airport said, or can do so beforehand via the platform of Ecolog, which operates the testing centre.
The centre will be located at departure level outside the airport building and will be open from 3:30 AM until 12:00 AM (midnight), according to Brussels Airport.
Virologist Steven Van Gucht repeated on Monday that “getting tested shortly after exposure or returning from a red zone is not a substitute for a quarantine, it does not guarantee that you are not a carrier of the virus” as it can take up to two weeks for the disease to manifest.
A frequently updated list of Belgium’s travel recommendations can be found here.
Jason Spinks
The Brussels Times