12 Covid cases in one Belgian family after Dutch holiday

Twelve members of a Belgian family tested positive for the coronavirus after holidaying in Cadzand in the Netherlands. They have been quarantining at home for a week, Hendrik Vandromme said to Omroep Zeeland. The family believes they contracted the virus in the Netherlands.

Vandromme's wife suddenly fell ill on Sunday July 12, while they were vacationing in the Cadzand-Bad holiday park. He called his doctor in Belgium, who advised them to come home. A day later, the whole family was tested for Covid-19, the respiratory disease cased by coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Twelve of the 15 family members tested positive.

The Belgian man said that they were careful while on holiday. "We kept the 1.5 meter rule during outings and stayed mainly in the park. We did go cycling and walking in Breskens and the Zwin," he said to the broadcaster. His children and grandchildren went out more regularly. "For example, they went to shops in Cadzand to buy things for the barbecue."

The Belgian health authorities are currently doing source and contact tracing for the family. Whether this is also happening at the Dutch holiday park is unclear. Mayor Marga Vermue of Sluis, the municipality that covers Cadzand, was not informed about this coronavirus case. She told Omroep Zeeland that she is checking whether this report is correct.

Figures from public health institute RIVM show no coronavirus infections in the municipality of Sluis during the time the Belgian family was holidaying there.