Incomprehensible that the Netherlands is using Belgian labs for coronavirus tests

According to the Dutch current affairs TV programme Nieuwsuur, Dutch testing capacity is being expanded by using Belgian labs. The N-VA finds this incomprehensible, especially since the testing strategy in Belgium has just been adapted to be able to continue to meet demand.

In August, former Minister De Backer asserted that we would be able to carry out 90,000 tests a day in September, by investing in a federal testing platform once more.

Promised testing capacity not achieved

This deadline was not met. At the end of October we have still not reached those 90,000 tests. The new government promised the number would increase, but only by December. However, this testing capacity is needed right now. If it is revealed that the Belgian government was aware of potential additional testing capacity, but did nothing with it, the N-VA would consider this another major failure.

Lack of decisiveness

In the N-VA’s opinion, the federal government lacks decisiveness and proactivity. “Even now, this is becoming painfully obvious. How is it possible that no alternatives are being sought if it appears that the plan to scale up is not working? We might be testing more than in many other countries, but the sad fact is that we are currently also being affected worse than other countries. Consequently we need this testing capacity ourselves. If we want to prevent our healthcare system from imploding, we must focus all our efforts on detecting and isolating people who are infected.”

Missed opportunity

It is not enough to pat ourselves on the back because our testing capacity remains one of the highest in Europe. The pillar of our COVID-19 policy is test and trace, which means the fact that the presymptomatic patient will no longer be tested is, without question, a missed opportunity. When we now read that the Netherlands was creative enough to work with European testing labs, we wonder why we were not. Why has the Royal Decree which regulates a collaboration between various labs still not been published? And why didn’t our government contact these testing platforms? We understand that the new government got off to an ambitious start, but at this particular moment we are not impressed. Certainly not if it also turns out that agreements have been made between the Dutch Minister of Health and Minister Vandenbroucke.