Belgium, Germany issue Code Red warnings for Utrecht

Germany and Belgium both issued negative travel advice for the province of Utrecht on Wednesday, due to the increasing number of coronavirus infections in the province. Both countries had already designated the provinces of Noord- and Zuid-Holland as risk areas.

Germany's Robert Koch Institute wrote in its travel advisory update that "the province of Utrecht is now also considered a risk area."

People coming to Germany from Utrecht, Noord-Holland or Zuid-Holland, may be subject to a mandatory Covid-19 test and quarantine, depending on the state they're entering.

Belgium is moving Utrecht from "code orange" to "code red", effective from Friday. Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland were moved to "code red" last week.

The Belgian "code red" currently entails a travel ban - people from Belgium are not allowed to travel to a code red area. But from Friday, code red will be watered down to an urgent advice not to visit the area.

Anyone traveling to Belgium after spending at least two days in a code red area will be subject to a mandatory Covid-19 test and quarantine.