Official COVID-19 test is no longer needed in Netherlands to confirm infection
April 12, 2022, 8:55 am

Official COVID-19 test is no longer needed in Netherlands to confirm infection

The Dutch government announced that starting from Monday (Apr 11), an official COVID-19 test is no longer needed in the Netherlands to confirm whether someone is infected with the virus (File photo: Pixabay)

The Xinhua reported, according to the Dutch government, starting from Monday (Apr 11), an official COVID-19 test is no longer needed in the Netherlands to confirm whether someone is infected with the virus.

A self-test is the starting point from now on for determining if someone is infected with COVID-19. This means that it is no longer necessary to have this confirmed by the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs), as was usual before.

A GGD test remains possible for specific groups, for example, people who work in healthcare or who cannot use a self-test. A formal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test can still be requested by people who need proof of health, like those traveling abroad.

The Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport said in a statement: "Self-tests are reliable for testing complaints, widely available and provide a quick result. In addition, advice will be made available to help people if they or someone close to them gets a positive test result."

A self-test is the starting point from now on for determining if someone is infected with COVID-19. This means that it is no longer necessary to have this confirmed by the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs), as was usual before (File photo: Pixabay)

With the use of self-tests, people get more responsibility for themselves. The ministry said: "It is still very important to go into isolation when there is a positive self-test. This prevents other people from being infected."

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Now that testing at the GGD is no longer the starting point, the coronavirus will be monitored in a different way and no longer by collecting positive GGD tests.

The ministry said: "We keep a close eye on how the virus spreads and whether new variants arise through the sewage water, samples and on the basis of hospital admissions and the situation in nursing homes."

Source: xinhua

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.