Beke wants travelers from the UK to take tougher measures …

Flemish welfare minister Wouter Beke (CD&V) wants us to better arm ourselves against the British coronavirus variant. This most contagious type is currently locking down the UK and gradually arriving on the European mainland and our country. So Beck advocates that travelers who have stayed in Ireland and Great Britain for less than 48 hours should also be tested and quarantined. He said this on Twitter and the Flemish Parliament.

In Parliament, Beke notes that extra precautions should also apply to business trips. He also believes that more inspections of train traffic should be increased.

The advisory committee should decide on these measures, which have set its meeting date for January 22nd. Nevertheless, Beck wants this meeting to take place “as soon as possible”.

Prime Minister Alexander de Crowe (Open VLD) calls Flemish Prime Minister Jean Gambon (N-VA) to understand exactly what is the demand from Flanders. Meanwhile, a panel of gem experts has been asked to provide more detailed advice to “give an objective feel to the debate”, says De Croo’s cabinet.

However, the suggestion comes from the scholars’ angle. Virologist Stephen Van Gucht supports this. According to him, in recent weeks between 1,600 and 2,000 people have returned to Belgium from the United Kingdom. These are only people who have filled out the Passenger Location Form (PLF) and thus have been in the country for more than 48 hours. According to the virologist, quite a few people who have stayed in the UK for less than 48 hours are running away from attention.

That is why he invites these people to “at least test”. On the basis of a positive test, the connection investigation can then be initiated. The quarantine commitment, in turn, appears to be difficult to achieve in practice, as it often concerns short-term work-related visits.