Travellers returning to Belgium from a so-called "orange zone" will be asked to quarantine and get tested for the coronavirus after all, as the rules changed for the third time.
"If you are returning from an orange zone, quarantine and testing are called for," a statement on the Foreign Affairs website reads on Tuesday afternoon. This is, however, not a requirement, like it is for travellers returning from red zones.
On Tuesday morning, Foreign Affairs changed its initial recommendation (which asked people to quarantine and get tested) to the need for "increased vigilance" as the rules were too vague.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the orange zones in the EU are Upper Austria in Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Aragon and Catalonia in Spain, Trento in Italy, Luxemburg, Algarve and Alentejo in Portugal, Moravskoslezský in the Czech Republic, Śląskie in Poland, Romania, Midland, North East & Yorkshire, Northern Wales and Northern Ireland in the UK, and Ticino in Switzerland.
According to the Foreign Affairs Department, the question to ask returning travellers to quarantine and get tested after all comes from the different Health Ministers and Secretary of State.
Additionally, Foreign Affairs mentions on its website that both quarantines and testing for people returning from orange zones fall within the competences of the regions and communities.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
