Going on holiday without a vaccine or PCR test is possible.
Few people know it, but from 12 July rapid tests will be available in pharmacies, making it possible to travel to several countries. A PCR test result will only be required to return to Belgium, if you are coming back from a red zone without being fully vaccinated.
RTBF article of 18 June 2021:
"Pharmacists will be able to carry out antigen tests for holiday departures from 12 July"
"The authorities will allow pharmacists to carry out rapid antigen tests directly in their pharmacies from 12 July. These tests are quick, the result comes within a quarter of an hour and they are cheaper than PCR tests."
"Be careful not to confuse them: these are not self-tests sold in pharmacies. A healthcare professional has to insert a swab into your nose. Rapid antigen tests are recognised by some holiday destination countries."
"Trial period in 8 Brussels pharmacies"
"At the "Positive pharma" pharmacy in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, the pharmacy team has already been carrying out this kind of test since last April. In a small room set apart, hand sanitiser gel sits on a table. A white coat is ready to be slipped on by the pharmacist in charge, Caroline Peuchot. "The swab is handled in the same way as for a PCR test. Then we test the patient in a small, separate room that has been disinfected beforehand. Within fifteen minutes we have the results, and it is about 97% reliable". Here, during the pilot period, some forty patients were tested. Initially, these tests were intended to identify infected people in order to slow the spread of the virus locally."
"On 12 July, the authorities will therefore bring pharmacists into play for holiday departures and extend antigen testing to volunteering pharmacies. "We have already developed quality protocols that ensure both the safety of the person coming to be tested and the safety of the pharmacy team," explains Alain Chaspierre, spokesperson for the Association Pharmaceutique Belge. "We also needed to enable pharmacists to enter the results on the Sciensano platform so that they can obtain a certificate to issue in case of holiday departure". According to a survey carried out by the APB, 30% of Belgian pharmacies say they are ready to carry out these tests."
"Some countries accept the antigen test, Belgium does not"
"France, Spain, Austria and Italy accept the antigen test if it is less than 48 hours old. Belgium, on the other hand, does not accept it. Without being fully vaccinated, to return home from a red zone you will necessarily have to bring back the results of a PCR test."
Read the full article here:
https://www.rtbf.be
The opinions expressed in this article are solely the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of BAM!
The list of countries accepting an antigen test:
https://www.rtbf.be
Photo source:
Image cropped from the original image by JESHOOTS-com on pixabay, Pixabay License