Wij zijn gewoon 🗣️ Open: PCR Test nodig? Binnen 30 minuten uw uitslag !🏃♀️ Meer info
You have probably heard stories about it: travelers test positive for corona abroad and then must spend 10 days in a quarantine hotel. But what about in the Netherlands? This article looks at what happens when tourists test positive for corona in the Netherlands.
At the end of November 2021, when omnicron started to emerge, the Netherlands was extensively in the news when 60 people tested positive on a flight from South Africa that landed at Schiphol airport. It was also big news when two 'corona fugitives', a couple with Spanish and Portuguese nationality, escaped the quarantine hotel Ramada in Badhoevedorp and then wanted to board a flight to Barcelona. At the time, South Africa was a high-risk area, which meant that travelers had to be quarantined on arrival.
Travelers traveling from a high-risk area to the Netherlands must be quarantined at home for 10 days. There are exceptions to this. With a negative corona test result, the quarantine can be ended on day 5.
In the Netherlands, two hotels have been renamed 'quarantine hotels,' the Ramada in Badhoevedorp near Schiphol and the Airport hotel in Rotterdam. The Airport hotel in Rotterdam also has a so-called 'quarantine package,' which explains with clear steps how the check-in and quarantine stay exactly works.
In principle, travelers are responsible for the costs of a quarantine hotel, but sometimes there may be an exception. This information is not listed on the website of the national government.
However, this tourist information page by the Dutch government about COVID-19 and the tourism industry states that tourists who test positive in the Netherlands must determine the quarantine at a holiday address at their own expense. This is because the traveler in question takes the risk of going on holiday during this time.
Staying in a quarantine hotel will mainly apply to foreign tourists or business travelers who come to the Netherlands. Travelers who have family in the Netherlands or who are visiting will, in most cases, spend their quarantine at home.
Quarantine hotels are not just for people who have just arrived from a high-risk area. For tourists in the Netherlands, there is also a different reality. What if they test positive for corona during their stay in the Netherlands?
In this case, they can go into quarantine at their holiday address or go to one of the quarantine hotels in the Netherlands. According to the site of the national government, this will be at their own expense. This FAQ from the Dutch government extensively describes what people should do in the event of a positive test. This way, tourists in the Netherlands can follow the local rules.
Tourists must be quarantined for 10 days if they test positive. This period can be shortened if they take a test on the 5th day and it comes back negative. During self-isolation, all contact with others should be avoided. An exception is only made for medical staff or the GGD.
Travelers who test positive during their stay and need help can contact the red cross (+31 (0)70 4455 888).
We called the Red Cross to find out how the organization could help stranded tourists with corona in the Netherlands. Tourists can call for information and, for example, get help to get in touch with a local doctor. There are also local Red Cross committees that can help people with things such as grocery shopping. There are also 'look out for each other' coaches who offer practical help. The Red Cross also works with so-called quarantine coaches during the pandemic. They guide people in quarantine and offer support to get through this period of isolation.
It is made clear that Red Cross help is only available to people who need it. They will therefore ask you about your specific situation. The Red Cross does not offer rides to vaccination locations or test locations. The organization has had many of those requests during the pandemic in 2020. Only the many requests could not be met. People will often be referred to an initiative such as the PCR taxi.
