Belgium increases COVID-19 testing capacity to 10,000 test a day
Testing capacity for the novel coronavirus in Belgium will now exceed 10,000 tests a day. The announcement that many more people will be tested for the virus than has been previously the case was made by the office of the Federal Minister Philippe De Backer (Flemish liberal) on Saturday. Last week between 3,500 and 4,500 a tests were carried out each day.
The increase in testing capacity has been made possible thanks to a vast increase in stocks of the materials required to carry out the tests. Together with the Federal Heath Department’s Risk Management Group (RMG) those that carry out the tests will review the criteria for testing for COVID-19 in function of the extra testing capacity that has become available.
The taskforce that was set up to increase the number of tests and to resolve issues related to the shortage of material such as mouth masks is answerable to Mr De Backer.