The Dutch Outbreak Management Team (OMT) has spoken: testing and isolating for COVID-19 should be a thing of the past.
While the government has yet to make an official decision, the OMT advice claims that the coronavirus is just a part of life now — like the flu.
Enter: the endemic stage
It’s been almost three years since the World Health Organization, officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020.
Now, according to the OMT, the Netherlands is in the so-called endemic phase of COVID-19. This means that the virus and its multiple subvariants are mostly contained.
While the virus still circulates, it has reached a steady state where it doesn’t cause large, unpredictable outbreaks anymore.
So, according to them, it’s time for the Netherlands to ditch the archaic rituals of testing and isolation.
COVID-19 test? Don’t know her
The latest advice from the OMT is that both test streets and self-tests are no longer necessary.
READ MORE | This test says if you have the flu or COVID-19, so why don’t Dutchies want it?
However, the GGD must be prepared to scale up on test streets again, should it ever become necessary. That would happen, for example, if a new variant emerged and spread rapidly. ðŸ¦
Isolation no more
As of now, the government advises that those who test positive for coronavirus should to go into isolation for five days.
But the days of playing the COVID-19 card to get out of social commitments (or work? 😉) may soon be over: As far as the OMT is concerned, isolation should not be necessary anymore.
READ MORE | Post-pandemic life in the Netherlands: no more coronavirus measures
As the NOS writes, coronavirus may then become subject to the generic advice that applies to other respiratory infections. These include the good ol’ washing of hands, sneezing into the elbow and staying home when sick.
Will the government take the advice?
It’s important to note that this is the OMT’s opinion, not the Dutch government’s.
While the government has yet to make an official decision on the measures and rules around COVID-19, it is expected that they will adopt the advice of the OMT.
What do you think about the end of isolation and testing? Tell us in the comments!