Teachers, care workers, police to get rapid Covid tests at work

Healthcare workers with coronavirus symptoms will be able to get a rapid Covid-19 test at their work from the end of next month. They won't have to go to a GGD test center to get tested. The same will apply to employees in education, childcare and the police from next month, Minister Hugo de Jonge of Public Health announced, NOS reports.

Healthcare institutions will have to order the tests themselves from the National Consortium for Medical Supplies - the authority that also distributes personal protective equipment. Only rapid tests validated by public health institute RIVM will be available. The tests give results within 30 minutes. 

It is still being investigated exactly how rapid testing on location will work at schools and at the police. All other people with symptoms will also have access to rapid tests from end November or early December. Rapid tests will be available at seven to ten extra large test locations, and at 20 to 25 special rapid test centers. Some of these will come at existing GGD test centers. You can make an appointment for a rapid test via the regular channels - the Covid-19 test hotline 0800-1202, or website.

The Ministry of Public Health ordered four million rapid tests from American suppliers BD and Abbott for this month. The companies will deliver another four million units in December and again in January. Millions more will be delivered every month until June, according to the broadcaster. Rapid tests were also ordered from manufacturer Roche, but the company would not tell NOS how many exactly.

The RIVM approved all three these tests and the Outbreak Management Team considers them reliable enough. The speed at which they give results outweighs the slightly lower accuracy, according to the OMT.