Coronavirus: Authorities fear German tourist brought Covid-19 to Netherlands

A man tested positive for coronavirus Covid-19 in the German municipality of Selfkant, just across the border from Sittard. Dutch public health institute RIVM announced that the 47-year-old man visited Limburg last week and the GGD is investigating who he was in contact with.

The RIVM did not say where in Limburg the German man was last week. According to the health authority, everyone who was in contact with him will undergo a medical examination. If they show symptoms, they will be quarantined. 

The man was admitted to a hospital in Erkelenz with a lung infection, according to broadcaster NOS. He was transferred to Dusseldorf, where there is a special quarantine center for people with the coronavirus. He is in critical condition, according to the broadcaster.

Local media report that the man was recently in contact with a business partner, who in turn had been in contact with a man from China. His wife is also showing symptoms, but it is not yet clear whether she is infected.

As a precaution, Germany is keeping all schools and daycare centers in the vicinity of Selfkant closed on Wednesday.

According to NOS, there is a rumor on social media that a man from Noord-Brabant tested positive for Covid-19. This is incorrect, a spokesperson for the RIVM said to the broadcaster. There are no known coronavirus infections in the Netherlands.