Rolled out of bed this morning feeling a bit… off? Decided to take a test and BAM, two lines? Well, we have news for you. As of today, you do not need to get the GGD involved.
Instead, the Dutch government is trusting you to do the right thing: isolate yourself for five days, and once your symptoms are gone, simply let yourself out.
But how will they keep track of coronavirus in the Netherlands? Well, one answer is poep.
Less testing of people, more testing of sewage
Yep, you read that right. 💩
While it will still be possible to get tested by the GGD in certain cases — for example, if you need proof of recovery from coronavirus or if you are a healthcare worker — most people will be testing themselves from now on, reports RTL Nieuws.
Instead of testing the population of the Netherlands, the Dutch government has decided to test, well, the poop of the Netherlands.
By monitoring sewage water, as well as the number of hospitalisations in the country, the hope is that the government will be able to stay on top of the coronavirus situation. 💪
A decline in testing and no more numbers
For the past two years now, the National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM) has been tracking and releasing the daily and weekly numbers of coronavirus cases in the Netherlands.
However, as of Saturday, the RIVM has decided to not report these numbers on the weekends or during public holidays — a hopeful step.
And also a practical step. The number of GGD tests being carried out in the Netherlands at the moment is decreasing rapidly. As of last week, the number of tests dropped by a third compared to the week before. 👀
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