GGD workers at Covid vaccination and testing sites threatened in Groningen

There have been multiple reports of GGD employees in Groningen being threatened, intimidated and stalked by people who are against coronavirus measures, including testing and Covid-19 vaccination, the Dagblad van het Noorden (DVHN) reported on Thursday.

Some employees stated they were followed after their work ended at the testing or vaccination site and verbally attacked. Due to the severity of some of the threats, the GGD Groningen filed a complaint in a number of the cases.

“In the past months, we have filed multiple complaints for intimidation and threats”, a spokesperson of the GGD Groningen said to DVHN. “We are taking the situation very seriously because our employees and the people who come for a test or vaccination deserve a safe environment.”

In June, GGD employees were threatened by people who demanded a stamp in their yellow vaccination booklets after receiving a Covid-19 vaccine.

A study conducted earlier this year showed that three-quarters of healthcare workers reported instances where they faced aggression or intimidation on the job. A third of the respondents said that aggressive behavior intensified in the past year, mainly due to the coronavirus crisis.