The Antwerp district of Borgerhout and an area in the north of the city (with postal code 2060) will start up contact tracing themselves next week. Local doctors and volunteers with a medical background will do so under Flemish supervision, the Antwerp governor Cathy Berx confirmed.
The idea had been on the table for some time, and the project is started now as figure are taking a turn for the worse again, and with the Flemish health agency “Zorg en Gezondheid” still unable to get contact tracing up to a high standard. Also, there are still no detailed figures about the latest local outbursts of the virus. Local mayors will very much like to have these to be able to take local measures to contain the virus if necessary.
“When people are testing positive for coronavirus, their local doctor will engage in a conversation about their previous contacts, at work and in their private life. Only when this would not yield any result, we will seek the help of case managers for a profound conversation to find out the source of the contamination.” The aim is to share the information with the Flemish umbrella agency, to get things moving faster.
The pioneering project will begin in two locations in the city of Antwerp, but could be extended, Cathy Berx added.
