COVID-19: new instructions for inhabitants of North Brabant

The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) is advising inhabitants of the province of North Brabant who have a cold, a cough or a fever to limit all social contacts and stay at home. In order to establish how widely the virus is circulating in this province, RIVM will introduce random sample testing on Saturday.

For most confirmed patients in the Netherlands the source of infection is known. Most of them had been in Italy or in close contact with another confirmed patient. The majority of patients for whom the source of infection is unknown or is still being investigated live in North Brabant or are linked to the province in some other way. In order to determine the distribution of the virus in North Brabant, RIVM will start random sample testing for new coronavirus tomorrow morning.

RIVM is also asking inhabitants of North Brabant who have a cold, a cough or a fever to avoid contact with others as far as possible. If you have these symptoms and live in North Brabant, you should work from home and avoid visiting the homes of others or busy public places. If it is necessary for you to leave your home, keep a good distance from other people. This reduces the chance of you spreading the virus without realising. Only contact your doctor if your symptoms get worse.